RACES OF MASS EFFECT

There are a huge number of races in the galaxy, each with their own unique attributes. These are
some of the races you can choose from in the Mass Effect Role-playing Game.

Human
Humans are the newest (save for the Raloi, a race of bipedal avians who withdrew from galactic
space shortly after their arrival to avoid destruction at the hands of the Reapers) sentient species of
notable size to enter the galactic stage and are the most rapidly expanding and developing. They
independently discovered a Prothean data cache on Mars in 2148 and the mass relay networks
shortly thereafter.
Personality: Humans are generally seen to be very intelligent, abnormally ambitious, highly
adaptable, individualistic and thus, unpredictable. They have a powerful desire to advance and
improve themselves, and do so with such assertion that the normally staid
Council races
have been taken aback by their restlessness and relentless curiosity.
Their
economy, while much smaller than any of the Council races, is very
powerful
relative to their size, and their military prowess is amongst the greatest
in the
galaxy, despite the fact that only 3% of humans volunteer for the
Alliance
military, a far smaller proportion than other races. Their ability to
defeat the turians in the First Contact War demonstrated
graphically the potential of human military strength and is
therefore a subject of concern for many races, who fear
the consequences of another human-turian conflict.
Physical Description: Humans have a fairly robust
physiology. Their internal makeup and reproductive
processes are typical of most bipedal mammals and their
size and proportions give the appearance of being strong,
fast and agile. In comparison to the Council races, humans
are roughly physically on par with turians (as very fit
humans can punch them over and even throw them off the
ground unassisted), and less agile than asari (whom they
closely resemble), though fit human males are likely to be far
stronger than the average asari. Humans would appear on average to be stronger than salarians
would but not as fast, due to the extremely elevated metabolisms of the latter. Like most organic
races, humans are also capable of producing biotic individuals but there is a high risk of medical
complications.
Humans can live to about 150 years, and recent medical advances have eradicated almost all
known diseases that afflict them. However, as humans only emerged on the galactic stage within
the last thirty years, it is highly likely that the introduction of new technology into their society will
greatly increase their average lifespan. Humans reach physical maturity at approximately eighteen
years of age, at which point they have usually finished their academic education and either directly
enter the workforce or begin training for a profession.
It has been noted that humans are unusual in the galactic community because they have far
greater genetic diversity compared to other species with more peaks and valleys. This makes
human genetic material useful in biological experiments, as a control group.
Government: The Systems Alliance is the representative body of Earth and all human colonies
in Citadel space. Backed by Earth's most powerful nations (Earth itself is still divided among
individual nations, like today), the Alliance has become humanity's military, exploratory, and
economic spearhead. While the Alliance is relatively new to the galactic community, it has already
made a name for itself, gaining humans an embassy on the Presidium. The Alliance is governed by
a parliament based at Arcturus Station, which also serves as the Alliance's capital.
The Alliance is responsible for the governance and defense of all extra-solar human colonies, and
represents humanity on the galactic stage. It is a supranational government, and is based on a
parliamentary system, with the Alliance Parliament based at Arcturus Station. It is unknown if the

representation is based on the population of member nations on Earth and the colonies, or if all
nations and colonies involved receive the same amount of parliamentary members.
The Alliance government is headed by a Prime Minister; as of 2186, this position was occupied by
Amul Shastri. It is unknown whether the Prime Minister is an elected Member of Parliament, or is
appointed to the position. While the Alliance is a supranational government, the member nations
retain their individual sovereignty back on Earth.
Among the Citadel races, the Alliance is considered a sovereign nation and no other species has
right of oversight into Alliance affairs.
Military: The Alliance military is respected by the Citadel races for its novel tactics and technology
(and not least for the fact, the First Contact War
had more turian than human casualties). Their
strength lies in fire support, flexibility, and
speed. The Council regards the Alliance as a
"sleeping giant" as only 3% of humans
volunteer for military service. They make up for
low numbers with sophisticated technical
support (VIs, drones, artillery, and electronic
warfare) and emphasis on mobility and
individual initiative. Their military doctrine is
not based on absorbing and dishing out heavy
shocks like the turians and krogan. Rather, they
bypass enemy strong points and launch deep
into their rear, cutting supply lines and
logistics, destroying headquarters and support
units, leaving enemies to 'wither on the vine'.
On defense, the Alliance military lives by Sun
Tzu's maxim, "He who tries to defend
everything defends nothing." Only token
garrisons are placed on their colonies. These
are intended for scouting rather than combat, avoiding engagement to observe and report on
invaders using drones. However, the Alliance stations powerful fleets at mass relay nexuses so that
in the event of an attack they respond with overwhelming force.
The Hahne-Kedar Company and Aldrin Labs are key suppliers of the military. All soldiers
receive gene therapy for improved strength and stamina. The Alliance also recruits biotics, who are
trained using techniques developed atBAaT (originally run by Conatix Industries). The new L3 biotic
implants are considered a significant step forward in biotic amplification.
The Alliance maintains an impressive navy consisting of over 200 vessels ranging from small
hundred meter frigates to imposing kilometer long dreadnoughts and carriers. It is one of the
greater forces in Citadel space and a serious rival to that of the turians, however, the Alliance is
only entitled to a small number of dreadnoughts compared to the turians, a 1 to 5 ratio as of 2183,
due to the Treaty of Farixen limiting their construction among the citadel races. The Alliance navy
has made up for this with the innovative design and deployment of carriers, which are as large as
dreadnoughts but are not restrained by the Treaty of Farixen. The fleet is headquartered at Arcturus
Station, a strategically invaluable installation whose system contains several primary mass relays
leading to human territory in addition to the secondary mass relay to Earth, and as such, it is
heavily defended by sizable naval forces.
Relations: Overall, the Systems Alliance enjoys good relations with the Asari Republics and
the Salarian Union, and it maintains a cold, yet relatively friendly, relationship with the Turian
Hierarchy, though animosity over the First Contact War and the occupation of Shanxi remains.
Some volus resent humans, due to their sudden arrival and usurpation of the council seat some
thought belonged to them. The fractured krogan rarely associate with the Alliance, and there is
little, if any, dialogue with the quarians and their Flotilla, though they are not on bad terms.
Because of Earth's colonization of the Traverse and the Skyllian Verge, humans remain the natural
rivals of the batarians. However, despite Earth's good diplomatic recordaside from a
small AI research scandalthe Alliance is still feared by many aliens because they hold the opinion
that the Alliance is expanding too fast. Practically, the Alliance has no other allies.
Alignment: Due to diversity, humans can come in any and all alignments, with no real inclination
towards a particular one.

Homeworld and Colonies: Humans originated on the planet Earth. After discovering ancient
Prothean ruins on Mars, their technology jumped by thousands of years, and they took to space.
After developing colonies, like Eden Prime and Elysium, on nearby systems, they found the greater
galactic civilization. Since then, they have taken to colonies across the galaxy. They also have an
embassy on the Citadel.
Religion: The theocratic beliefs of humanity are as varied as they are. While not all humans are
religious in post-galactic times, some religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and
Buddhism, still exist in some form, though many of these religions have changed dramatically due
to the need to explain the existence of alien races both past and present.
Names: Human names consist primarily of a personal and a family surname. Names can range
from rather creative names, to very typical names. The names often reflect on the specific
countries of origin from earth, or from ancestors back on earth in the case of colonists or spacers.
Female Names: Ashley, Jane, Miranda. Male Names: John, Kaiden, Steven. Surnames: Shepard,
Vega, Williams, Alenko, Lawson.
Adventurers: Humans are an adventurous bunch. Humans answer to any calling imaginable, and
are possibly the most likely of any race to venture into just about any situation you can possibly
imagine.
Timeline: Humanity discovered a cache of Prothean ruins that advanced their technology by
centuries almost instantaneously in the year 2148 CE; the following year, Charon, Pluto's moon,
was discovered to actually be a mass relay. After the first contact war in 2157 CE, they were
accepted into the Citadel.
Human Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Human characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at
creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium Size: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Normal Speed: Human base land speed is 30 feet.
Bonus Feat: Humans get one extra feat at level one.
Skilled: Humans gain one extra skill point at every level, including the first. Additionally, they
may pick two skills at character creation to be class skills.

Asari
The Asari, native to the planet Thessia, are often considered the most powerful and respected
sentient species in the known galaxy. This is partly due to the fact the Asari were the first race after
the Protheans to achieve interstellar flight, and to discover and inhabit the Citadel.
A mono-gender race distinctly feminine in appearance the Asari are known for their elegance,
diplomacy, and biotic talent. Their millennia-long lifespan and unique physiologyallowing them to
reproduce with a partner of any gender or speciesgive them a conservative but convivial attitude
toward other races. The Asari were instrumental in proposing and founding the Citadel Council, and
have been at the heart of galactic society ever since.
Personality: Asari have a robust cellular regenerative system. While they do not heal faster than
other species, asari are known to reach 1000 years of age. Asari pass through three climacteric life
stages, marked by biochemical and physiological changes. The Maiden stage begins at puberty and
is marked by the drive to explore and experience. Most young asari are curious and restless.
The Matron stage of life begins around the age of 350, though it can be triggered earlier if the
individual melds frequently. This period is marked by a desire to settle in one area and raise
children. The Matriarch stage begins around 700 years of age, or earlier if the individual melds
rarely. Matriarchs become active in their community as sages and councilors, dispensing wisdom
from centuries of experience. Their knowledge and guidance may be one reason why Matriarchs are
rarely seen outside asari space.
However, it should be noted that each stage can be started whenever an asari feels that she has
reached the correct level of maturity. While each stage of life is marked by strong biological
tendencies, individuals do make unexpected life choices. For example, there are Maidens who stay
close to home rather than explore, Matrons who would rather work than build a family, and
Matriarchs who have no interest in community affairs.

Because of their long lifespan, asari tend to have a "long view" not common in other races. When
they encounter a new species or situation, the asari are more comfortable with an extended period
of passive observation and study than immediate action. They are unfazed that some of their
investments or decisions may not pay off for decades or centuries. Matriarchs can seem to make
incomprehensible decisions, but their insight is evident when their carefully-laid plans come to
fruition. In interstellar relations, this long view manifests in the unspoken policy of centrism. The
asari instinctively seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power.
Traditionally, asari spread their influence through cultural domination and intellectual superiority.
They invite new species of advanced development to join the galactic community, knowing that
their ideals and beliefs will inevitably influence the existing culture. The asari tend toward
communal, consensus attitudes among themselves too: for example, they prefer to live in shared
spaces aboard starships even if there are alternatives available.
Asari believe that their offspring acquire the best qualities of the "father" from the melded genes,
but evidence is anecdotal. They frown upon intraspecies conception, since genetic traits and
cultural insight is gained from mating outside their species, so it is considered wasteful for asari to
reproduce together. The results of such unions are occasionally referred to as "purebloods", a great
insult among contemporary asari. A rare genetic defect known as Ardat-Yakshi, which makes asari
destroy the partner's mind during melding, occurs much more frequently among the daughters of
purebloods.
Asari are well aware they tend to be attractive, and are comfortable expressing their sexuality, as
can be witnessed in places like Chora's Den or Afterlife with asari erotic dancers. Young males of all
races tend to have a fascination with asari. Because of their natural sensuality and ability to mate
with any species, asari are sometimes rumored to be promiscuous. These rumors are mostly a
result of misinformation (or wishful thinking). In fact, asari have to accept that if they mate outside
their own species, they will almost inevitably outlive their partner (with the notable exception of
the krogan, who have a similarly immense longevity). Therefore, they have had to apply their
philosophical "long view" to relationships as well, savoring the time they spend with their partners
rather than focusing on their inevitable loss. As a result of the age difference many asari raise their
daughters alone, especially if the "father" species is short-lived. Despite their partner's death, a
part of them will live within their other.
The asari celebrate the springtime fertility ritual Janiris, which marks the start of the New Year.
During this time, they create wreathes of flowers and distribute them among their friends and loved
ones. As is the case with the holidays of some other Citadel species, the celebration of Janiris has
been adopted by other species that operate in Citadel Space.
Physical Description: A typical asari individual has a blue to purple complexion. Some asari can
also have a teal complexion, but this seems to be a rarity. Some asari have facial markings, which
are unique color patterns that vary for every asari. Some of these facial markings are associated
with eyebrows by humans, but the asari do not think of the markings as such themselves. In the
place of head hair, asari possess semi-flexible, cartilage based scalp crests that grow into shape.
These structures are rigid, and do not - as some believe - "flop around".

There is some conflicting information regarding the

gender of the asari. Though they resemble females, at
least to
humans, asari are non-gender specific, with no concept
of
gender differences. They are mono-genderedmale
and female have no real meaning for them. However,
for
simplicity's sake, they are referred to as an all-female
race. While asari have only one gender, they are not
asexual like single-celled lifeall asari are sexually
female. They also have distinctly maternal instincts,
and use female determiners; she and matriarch, not he
and patriarch. They are innately different from humans
for
asari can mate with other species and any gender.
Asari are considered attractive to many species, which
would prove useful considering their method of
reproduction. Some conspiracy theorists believe that
the asari may be using mind control to make other
species find them attractive. It is more likely that the
attraction comes from neurochemicals, or perhaps from
the similarities between the asari and other races
(Humans because of their female form, turians because
of
the similarities between their crests and the asaris',
salarians because of their skin color, etc.)
Although asari have one gender, they are not asexual.
An
asari provides two copies of her own genes to her
offspring, whichregardless of the species or sex of the
'father'is always an asari. The second set is altered in a unique process called melding, also
known as the joining.
During melding, an asari consciously attunes her nervous system to her partner's, sending and
receiving electrical impulses directly through the skin. A common phrase used before melding is
"embrace eternity," presumably to help focus the partner's mind. Effectively, the asari and her
partner briefly become one unified nervous system. This unique means of reproduction is the
reason asari are all talented biotics. Their evolved ability to consciously control nerve impulses is
very similar to biotic training. The partner can be another asari, or an alien of any gender. However,
since the asari began encountering other sentient species, non-asari mates have become preferred
for the diversity they provide. This reproductive process can lead to some confusion among nonasari, who might expect offspring with "mixed" genes. However, the offspring is always 100% asari,
as no DNA is taken from the partner, but is rather used as a "map" to randomize the genes of the
offspring.
An asari's melding ability extends to a mental connection as well, sometimes described as a true
union between an asari and her partner. It allows the asari to explore her partner's genetic heritage
and pass desirable traits on to any offspring. During mating an asari and her partner share
memories, thoughts, and feelings. It is also possible for an asari to meld with another for the sole
purpose of transferring thoughts, without reproduction. Regardless, the process can be quite
exhausting for the asari, as it involves a great deal of mental focus and strain.
Government: The asari governmental structure, known as the Asari Republics, is relatively broad;
the asari came late to the notion of world government. For centuries, their homeworld of Thessia
was dotted with loose confederacies of great republican cities. The closest Earth equivalent would
be the ancient Mediterranean city-states. Since the asari culture values consensus and
accommodation, there was little impetus to form larger principalities. Rather than hoard resources,
the asari bartered freely. Rather than attack one another over differing philosophies, they sought to
understand one another. Only in the information age did the city-states grow close; communication
over the internet evolved into an 'electronic democracy'.
Aside from their Council representative, the asari have no politicians or elections, but a
freewheeling, all-inclusive legislature that citizens can participate in at will. Policy debates take
place at all hours of the day, in official chat rooms and forums moderated by speciallyprogrammed virtual intelligences. All aspects of policy are open to plebiscite at any time. In any
given debate, the asari tend to lend the most credence to the opinions of any Matriarchs present,
nearly always deferring to the experience of these millennia-old 'wise women'.

In modern times, the asari normally act as the diplomatic arm of the Citadel Council.
Military: The asari military resembles a collection of tribal warrior bands with no national structure.
Each community organizes its own
unit as the locals see fit, and elect
a leader to command them. Units
from populous cities are large and
well-equipped, while those from
farm villages may be only a few
women with small arms. There is
no uniform; everyone wears what
he or she likes. The asari military
is not an irregular militia,
however; those who serve are fulltime professionals.
The average asari huntress is in
the maiden stage of her life and
has devoted 20-30 years studying
the martial arts. Asari choose to
be warriors at a young age, and
their education from that point is
dedicated to sharpening their
mind and body for that sole
purpose. When they retire, they
possess an alarming proficiency for killing.
Huntresses fight individually or in pairs, depending on the tactics preferred in their town. One-onone, a huntress is practically unbeatable, possessing profound tactical insight, a hunter's eye, and a
dancer's grace and alacrity. Biotics are common enough that some capability is a requirement to be
trained as a huntress; lack of biotic talent excludes a young asari from military service.
While fluid and mobile, asari cannot stand up in a firestorm the way a krogan, turian, or human
could. Since their units are small and typically lack heavy armor and support weapons, they are
almost incapable of fighting a conventional war, particularly one of a defensive nature. Therefore,
asari units typically undertake special operations missions. Like an army of ninja, they are adept at
ambush, infiltration, and assassination, demoralizing and defeating their enemies through intense,
focused guerrilla strikes. Asari huntresses were among the first individuals to be chosen
as Spectres and played a key role in the Krogan Rebellions.
As a popular turian saying puts it, "The asari are the finest warriors in the galaxy. Fortunately, there
are not many of them."
Relations: Asari are well loved and generally trusted by most other races. Due to their inclination
for diplomacy over warfare, and their quest to bring all peaceful and intelligent life together in
harmony, few aliens have decidedly negative views on the asari. This might have something to do
with their existence as the first Citadel race, or it could be because of their attractiveness.
Regardless, the asari enjoy goodor at least neutralrelations with most races.
Alignment: Asari Maidens tend to sway towards a more chaotic alignment, since they often use
these years to see the galaxy and explore. As they mature through the Matron and Matriarch
stages, they usually sway more and more towards the lawful spectrum of the alignments, since
they will often begin to settle down with mates or take positions of political power, or act as
advisors.
Homeworld and Colonies: Asari are native to Thessia. However, being the first species to discover
the Citadel, they have colonies spanning across the entire galaxy, such as Illium and Cyone. They
are obviously very common on the citadel as well.
Religion: The pantheistic mainstream asari religion is siari, which translates roughly as "All is one."
The faithful agree on certain core truths: the universe is a consciousness, every life within it is an
aspect of the greater whole, and death is a merging of one's spiritual energy back into greater
universal consciousness. Siarists do not specifically believe in reincarnation; they believe in spiritual
energy returning to the universal consciousness upon death will eventually be used to fill new
mortal vessels.
Siari became popular after the asari left their homeworld and discovered their ability to "meld" with
nearly any form of life. This ability is seen as proof that all life is fundamentally similar. Siari

priestesses see their role as promoting unity between disparate shards of the universe's awareness.
Before the rise of siari pantheism, asari religions were as diverse as their political opinion. The
strongest survivor of those days is the monotheistic religion worshipping the goddess Athame. Like
the asari, the goddess cycles through the triple aspects of maiden, matron, and matriarch. Asari
often swear "by the goddess", though this may be a cultural legacy rather than reflecting an
individual's belief. The truth behind this religion is quite shocking. Athame was, in fact, a Prothean,
who uplifted them in hopes of defeating the Reapers in the next cycle should they fail. This
revelation has not yet been made public knowledge; but if it were, many of the galaxy's religions,
both asari and non-asari, would be tested.
Names: Asari names tend to be very 'wispy,' often ending in vowels. Heavily sound like female
elven names from traditional Dungeons and Dragons. Examples: Liara, Benezia, Aria, Morinth,
Samara, Saphyria.
Adventurers: Asari Maidens make the perfect adventurers. Their curiosity may even surpass that
of the human race. Asari often use these years to explore the world, enlisting in military service as
huntresses, joining mercenary groups (like Eclipse), gangs, or pirate crews, or just exploring the
galaxy.
Timeline: Discovering the Citadel in the year 580 BCE, they are the easiest race to implement into
a campaign, since they have virtually always been a part of the greater galactic society. In fact,
they are the greater galactic society.
Asari Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, +2 Wisdom, -2 Constitution, -2 Strength. Asari are very nimble,
alluring, and diplomatic, and their long lifespans give them great wisdom, but they lack the
sturdiness of some of the other races in the galaxy.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, Asari have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Asari base land speed is 30 feet.
Bonus Feat: Asari get Biotic Potential as a bonus feat.
Cultural Masters: Asari have excellent people skills. They get a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and
Sense Motive.
Asari Joining: The Asari may mind meld with a willing humanoid recipient. This allows free
transfer of thoughts, images, and feelings (if willing, it also allows for the impregnation of the asari
through the copying of genetic data). While this is traditionally a very intimate and important ritual
to the asari, it can be used against an unwilling humanoid target. At the beginning of your turn, if
you are successfully grappling an unwilling recipient, you may try to meld with them. The recipient
may (if able) try to make a will save (DC 10 + biotic level). If he passes, he resists the effect. When
using it on an unwilling target, the Asari must make a fortitude save of the same DC as the check or
she will become fatigued after using this ability. The asari must make the check against willing
recipients if the memories being transferred are especially traumatic or stress inducing. If she is
already fatigued, she becomes exhausted (and falls unconscious if already exhausted.) This is a
biotic power-like ability.

Salarian
The second species to join the Citadel, the Salarians are warm-blooded amphibians with a
hyperactive metabolism; Salarians think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To salarians, other species
seem sluggish and dull-witted, especially the elcor. Unfortunately, their metabolic speed leaves
them with a relatively short lifespan; Salarians over the age of 40 are a rarity.
Salarians are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an
aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is
generally accepted that they always know more than they are letting on.
Personality: Salarians excel at invention, preferring to use cutting-edge technology rather than
settle for anything less. The salarians see information gathering and even spying as a matter of
course when dealing with other races, but this is not underhanded: they simply embrace the dictum
of "knowledge is power". Alliance counterintelligence agencies are constantly uncovering salarian
agents and cyber-warfare incursions, but there is little they can do to stop them, since they have
honed their skills over the past two thousand years.
Normally, the rare salarian females are cloistered on their worlds out of tradition and respect.

Powerful female Dalatrasses are dynasts and political kingpins. They determine the political course
of their respective regions through shrewd negotiation. Though male salarians rise to positions of
great authority in business, academia, or the military, they rarely have any input on politics, though
the salarian representative on the Citadel Council is male in 2183.
Due to their method of reproduction, salarians have no concept of romantic love, sexual attraction,
or the biological impulses and social rituals that complicate other species' lives. Male-female
relationships are rare (due to the scarcity of females) and more akin to human friendship. Sexuality
is strictly for the purpose of reproduction. Ancient social codes determine who gets to fertilize eggs,
which produces more daughters to continue the bloodline. Fertilization generally only occurs after
months of negotiation between the parents' clans, and is done for purposes of political and dynastic
alliance. No salarian would imagine defying this code.
Salarians celebrate "Betau," the first day of their New Year. Traditionally, it marks the end of winter
in the southern hemisphere on the salarian homeworld, Sur'Kesh. During this occasion, they repay
debts, and petition favors from one another.
Physical Description: The salarians are a bipedal race of amphibians, with tall, elongated bodies
well suited for their high metabolism, and skeletons composed of more cartilage
than
those of other races such as humans. Salarian heads are long and thin, and have a
pair of
horns protruding from the top of their skulls. Skin varies in color, from bright reds
and
greens to the more common shades of blue or grey. Their blood is a greenish color.
Salarian
eyes are large and oval and have thin membranes in place of eyelids. The pupils are
a wide
slit, oriented horizontally, and the irises can be dark green, purple, or
brown. Salarians blink upwards, rather than downwards as humans
do.
Salarians are noted for their high-speed metabolism, which allows them
to function on just one hour of sleep a day. Their minds and bodies work
faster than most sapient races, making them seem restless or hyperactive.
The drawback of this active metabolism is a short lifespan of around 40 human
years.
The salarians are amphibian haplo-diploid egg-layers; unfertilized eggs produce
males and fertilized eggs produce females. Once a year, a salarian female will
lay a
clutch of dozens of eggs. Social rules prevent all but a fraction from being
fertilized. As a result, 90% of the species is male.
Salarians have photographic memories and rarely forget a fact. They also possess
a
form of psychological "imprinting", tending to defer to those they knew in their
youth. Salarian hatching is a solemn ritual in which the clan Dalatrass (matriarch)
isolates herself with the eggs. The young salarians psychologically imprint on her
and tend to defer to her wishes. During the hatching of daughters, the Dalatrasses
of
the mother and fathers clans are present at the imprinting. This ensures the
offspring have equal loyalty to both, ensuring the desired dynastic and political
unity.
Salarian sex drive and reproduction differ from that of humans, as it is not hormonebased. Reproduction is more of a necessity and salarians do not seem to desire sex
for
pleasure. They are, however, attracted to the asari.
The salarian race also includes the Lystheni "offshoot." How the Lystheni are distinct from mainline
salarians and why they are currently unwelcome in Council space is unrevealed. Lystheni salarians
may be found living among batarians, exiled quarians, and other galactic refuse at Omega.
Government: The salarian government, since at least the formation of the Council in 500 BCE, is
called the Salarian Union. It is a labyrinthine web of matrilineal bloodlines, with political alliances
formed through interbreeding.
In many ways, the salarian political network functions like the noble families of Earths Medieval
Europe. Structurally, the government consists of fiefdoms, baronies, duchies, planets, and marches
(colonization clusters). These are human nicknames, as the original salarian is unpronounceable.
Each area is ruled by a single Dalatrass (matriarchal head-of-household) and represents an
increasing amount of territory and prestige within the salarian political web.
Approaching 100 members, the first circle of a salarian's clan comprises parents, siblings, uncles,
aunts, and cousins. The next circle includes second cousins, etc., and escalates to well over 1000
members. The fourth or fifth circle of a clan numbers into the millions. Salarian loyalty is greatest to
their first circle and diminishes from there. Their photographic memories allow salarians to

recognize all their myriad relatives

Military: In principle, the salarian military is similar to the Systems Alliance, a small volunteer army
that focuses on maneuver warfare. What differentiate the salarians are not their equipment or
doctrine, but their intelligence services and rules of engagement. The salarians believe that a war
should be won before it begins (a doctrine also espoused by some of humanity's greatest generals,
such as Sun Tzu).
The unquestioned superiority of their intelligence services allows them to use their small military to
maximum effectiveness. Well before fighting breaks out, they possess complete knowledge of their
enemy's positions, intentions and timetable. Their powerful intelligence network is spearheaded in
the field by Special Tasks Groups (STG) who monitor developing situations and take necessary
action, usually without the shackles of traditional laws and procedures. This may be as simple as
scouting and information gathering, or as complex as ensuring a conveniently unstable political
situation stays that way. The effectiveness of the STG during the Krogan Rebellion is what provided
the template for the Council to establish their SPECTRE program immediately afterward.
In every war the salarians have fought, they struck first and without warning. For the salarians, to
know an enemy plans to attack and let it happen is folly; to announce their own plans to attack is
insanity. They find the human moral concepts of 'do not fire until fired upon' and 'declare a war
before prosecuting it' incredibly naive. In defensive wars, they execute devastating preemptive
strikes hours before the enemy's own attacks. On the offense, they have never issued an official
declaration of war before attacking.
Biotics are virtually unknown in the salarian military. Those with such abilities are considered too
valuable to be used as cannon fodder and are assigned to the intelligence services.
While capable of defending themselves against most threats, the salarians know that they are small
fish in a universe filled with sharks. As a point of survival, they have cultivated strong alliances with
larger powers, particularly with the turians. Though the relationship between the two species was
rocky at first due to the krogan uplift fiasco, the salarians take pains to keep this relationship strong
enough that anyone who might threaten them risks turian intervention.
The salarian navy has sixteen dreadnoughts, which is considerably less than the maximum they are
allowed to build according to the Treaty of Farixen.
Relations: Due to their short lifespans, Salarians can seem hyperactive and shifty. To other races,
this can create a feeling of distrust, as if they always believe a Salarian is hiding something.
However, most races still respect their intellectual prowess, and the Citadel races consider the
Salarians invaluable. However, the krogans hold a deep-set grudge against the Salarians, due to
their development of the Genophage, a disease that makes most Krogan young stillborn.

This grudge began to subside after Mordin Solus,

a Genophage expert, implemented a cure in
2186.
Alignment: Being the incredibly intellectual
beings that they are, Salarians tend to avoid
extremities of morality. This tends to steer them
towards neutral alignments. It is not unknown for
Salarians to dip towards one of these extremes,
however, when political power, harsh personal
beliefs, or a desire to right the galaxy in one way
or another takes a prominent place in a salarian's
mind.
Homeworld and Colonies: Salarians originate
from the tropical planet of Sur'Kesh. Since they
have been around almost as long as the Asari,
they have many colonies across the galaxy,
notably Aegohr, Mannovai, and Jato, which were
some of their first. Salarians also have a
prominent place on the Citadel, being the second
council race.
Religion: Salarians are not notably religious, but
as free-willed sentients, there are exceptions.
One of the less favored salarian religions (which
the Council deems a "cult") worships a goddess,
and claims that a certain pattern of overlapping
craters in the southern hemisphere
of Trelyn resembles her. Many salarians do have a
belief in a wheel of life, which shares similarities
to Hinduism due to a shared belief in
reincarnation
Names: Salarian names are quite complex. A full name includes in order the name of a
salarian's homeworld, nation, city, district, clan name and given name, but are most often referred
to simply by their given and/or clan names. Male names: Mordin, Kirrahe, Chorban, Morlan.
Female Names: Often referred to by a title and their clan name.
Adventurers: Male salarians can often be seen adventuring. Some may adventure for research,
exploration, or business ventures, while some might join mercenary groups, like Eclipse. Some
others opt to join the Salarian Military force, known as the Special Tasks Group (STG.) Salarian STG
is the intelligence organization famous for ending wars before they start. These covert commandos
are a force to be reckoned with, and their operatives would make for great characters,
spearheading secret missions that other party members might not even know about.
Timeline: Joining the Citadel in 520, 60 years after the Asari, Salarians can easily join virtually any
adventure.
Salarian Racial Traits
+2 Dexterity, +4 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Strength. Salarians are quick in both mind and
body, but lack the physical prowess of some other races.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, Salarians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Normal Speed: Salarian base land speed is 30 feet.
Specific Build: Salarians cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species
like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Amphibious: Salarians can breathe underwater. They have a swim speed of 20 feet. They may
choose to use their dexterity modifier on Swim checks when necessary, instead of their strength.
Low-Light Vision: Salarians can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Science and Subterfuge: Salarians are known for their research and intelligence groups, which
are often quite synonymous. At first level, a Salarian must choose Science or Subterfuge.
Science: You are a man of science, studying everything you can get your hands on; be it books or
subjects. You get a +2 racial bonus to First Aid and any Knowledge skills you are trained in.

Subterfuge: You know your enemy better than they do, and you are a master of infiltration. You get
a +2 racial bonus to Stealth, Escape Artist, and Electronics (if trained) checks.

Turian
Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture, the turians were the third race to join the Citadel
Council. They gained their Council seat after defeating the hostile krogan for the Council during the
Krogan Rebellions. The turians deployed a salarian-created biological weapon called
the Genophage, which virtually sterilized the krogan and sent them into a decline. The turians then
filled the peacekeeping niche left by the once-cooperative krogan, and eventually gained a Council
seat in recognition of their efforts. Originally from the planet Palaven, turians are best known for
their military role, particularly their contributions of soldiers and starships to the Citadel Fleet.
Personality: Turians are noted for their strong sense of public service. It is rare to find one who puts
his needs ahead of the group. Every citizen from age 15 to 30 serves the state in some capacity, as
anything from a soldier to an administrator, from a construction engineer to a sanitation worker.
Turians have a strong inclination toward public service and self-sacrifice, so they tend to be poor
entrepreneurs. To compensate, they accepted the mercantile volus as a client race, offering
protection in exchange for their fiscal expertise.
Turian society is highly regimented and very organized, and the species is known for its strict
discipline and work ethic. Other species see turians as "men of action," and they are generally
regarded as the most progressive of the Citadel races (though some species believe humans are
rivaling this position). Since their culture is based on the structure of a military hierarchy, changes
and advances accepted by the leadership are quickly adopted by the rest of society with minimal
resistance.
While turians are individuals with personal desires, their instinct is to equate the self with the group,
and to set aside all personal desires for the good of all. Turians are taught to have a strong sense of
personal accountability, the 'turian honor' that other races find so remarkable. Turians are taught to
own every decision they make, good or ill. The worst sin they can make in the eyes of their people
is to lie about their own actions. Turians who murder will try to get away with it, but if directly
questioned, most will confess the crime.
Physical Description: Turians typically stand over six feet tall, have two long, proportionately thick
fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with talons, and a set of mandibles
around their mouths. The most distinguishing feature of turians is their metallic
carapace, which is a result of their evolution. Turian features are avian, making them
resemble humanoid birds or raptors, however unlike most Earth avian creatures;
turians are viviparous and give birth to live young. Some humans muse that their
appearance reminds them of the evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs.
Turians are also recognizable by their voices, which have a
distinctive flanging effect. Males and females do not differ greatly in physical
appearance, but female turians lack the crest of horns found in the males of the
race. The lifespan of a turian is comparable to that of a human.
Since the Unification War, turians normally wear elaborate face paint marking their
colony of origin, though it is not known which markings distinguish which colony.
These markings are usually white particularly on turians with darker
carapaces but can be of various colors. As a point of interest, the turian
term "barefaced" refers to one who is beguiling or not to be trusted. It is also
a slang term for politicians.
Turians exhibit the characteristics of predators rather than those of prey
species (compare to krogan biology). Their forward-facing alert eyes give the
impression that they possess outstanding eyesight and their teeth and jaws mimic
the structures possessed by apex predators such as crocodiles or ancient, carnivorous
dinosaurs. Needless to say, their talons on both their feet and hands seem capable of
ripping flesh. Their slender bodies also seem to suggest that they are also capable of
moving at high speeds.
The turian homeworld, Palaven, has a metal-poor core, generating a weak magnetic field
and allowing more solar radiation into the atmosphere. To deal with this, most forms of life
on Palaven evolved some form of metallic "exoskeleton" to protect themselves. Their

reflective plate-like skin makes turians less susceptible to long-term, low-level radiation exposure,
but they do not possess any sort of "natural armor". A turian's thick skin does not stop projectiles
and directed energy bolts. Turian blood has a dark blue coloration, possibly from the presence of
hemocyanin rather than hemoglobin, which would fit with the biology of a metallic exoskeleton.
Although life on Palaven is carbon-based and oxygen-breathing, it is built on dextro-amino acids.
This places the turians in a distinct minority on the galactic stage; the quarians are the only other
sapient dextro-protein race. The food of humans, asari, or salarians (who evolved in levo-amino
acid-based biospheres), will at best pass through turian systems without providing any nutrition. At
worst, it will trigger an allergic reaction that can be fatal if not immediately treated. Turians have a
digestive system similar to birds and reptiles on Earth, some of whom swallow stones to help break
down harder foods in the stomach.
Government: The turian government, known as the Turian Hierarchy, is a hierarchical meritocracy.
While it has great potential for misuse, this is tempered by the civic duty and personal responsibility
turians learn in childhood.
Turians have 27 citizenship tiers, beginning with civilians (client races and children). The initial
period of military service is the second tier. Formal citizenship is conferred at the third tier, after
boot camp. For client races, citizenship is granted after the individual musters out. Higher-ranked
citizens are expected to lead and protect subordinates. Lower-ranking citizens are expected to obey
and support superiors. Promotion to another tier of citizenship is based on the personal assessment
of one's superiors and co-rankers. At the top are the Primarchs, who each rule a colonization cluster.
The Primarchs vote on matters of national import. They otherwise maintain a "hands-off" policy,
trusting the citizens on each level below them to do their jobs competently.
Throughout their lives, turians ascend to the higher tiers and are occasionally "demoted" to lower
ones. The stigma associated with demotion lies not on the individual, but on those who promoted
him when he was not ready for additional responsibility. This curbs the tendency to promote
individuals into positions beyond their capabilities. Settling into a role and rank is not considered
stagnation. Turians value knowing one's own limitations more than being ambitious.
Turians enjoy broad freedoms. So long as one completes his duties, and does not prevent others
from completing theirs, nothing is forbidden. For example, there are no laws against recreational
drug use, but if someone is unable to complete his duties due to drug use, his superiors step in.
Judicial proceedings are 'interventions.' Peers express their concern, and try to convince the
offender to change. If rehabilitation fails, turians have no qualms about sentencing dangerous
individuals to life at hard labor for the state.
Military: Turians are willing to do what needs to be done, and they always follow through. They are
not easily spurred to violence, but when conflict is inevitable, they only understand a concept of
"total war." They do not believe in skirmishes or small-scale battles; they use massive fleets and
numbers to defeat an adversary so completely that they remove any threat of having to fight the
same opponent more than once. They do not exterminate their enemy, but so completely devastate
their military that the enemy has no choice but to become a colony of the turians. It is theorized
that another conflict between the rapidly advancing humans and the turians could annihilate a
large portion of known space.

The turian military is the center of their society. It is not

just an armed force; it is an all-encompassing public
works organization. The military police are also the
civic police. The fire brigades serve the civilian
population as well as military facilities. The corps of
engineers builds and maintains spaceports, schools,
water purification plants, and power stations. The
merchant marine ensures that all worlds get needed
resources.
Although they lack the brutality of the krogan, the
refined biotic skill of the asari, and the adaptability of
the humans, the turian military has formidable
discipline, strategy and training making their fleet the
single largest portion of the Citadel Fleet. Their fleet is
also allotted the single largest number of dreadnoughts
by the Treaty of Farixen, having 37 as of 2183 and 39
as of 2185, as a point to their fleet's service as galactic
peacekeepers and position as the primary military arm
of the Council.
Officers and NCOs are "lifers" with years of field
experience. Enlisted personnel are thoroughly trained
and stay calm under fire. Turian units do not break.
Even if their entire line collapses, they fall back in
order, setting ambushes as they go. A popular saying
holds: "You will only see a turian's back once he's
dead."
Boot camp begins on the 15th birthday. Soldiers
receive a year of training before being assigned to a
field unit; officers train for even longer. Most serve until
the age of 30, at which they become part of the Reserves. Even if they suffer injuries preventing
front-line service, most do support work behind the lines.
Biotics are uncommon. While admired for their exacting skills, biotics' motives are not always fully
trusted by the common soldier. The turians prefer to assign their biotics to specialist teams called
Cabals.
Command and control is decentralized and flexible. Individual squads can call for artillery and air
support. They make extensive use of combat drones for light duties, and practice combined arms:
infantry operates with armor, supported by overhead gunships. Strategically, they are methodical
and patient, and dislike risky operations. The turians recruit auxiliary units from conquered or
absorbed minor races. Auxiliaries are generally light infantry or armored cavalry units that screen
and support the main battle formations. At the conclusion of their service in the Auxiliaries, recruits
are granted turian citizenship.
Tradition is important. Each legion has a full-time staff of historians who chronicle its battle honors
in detail. The oldest have records dating back to the turian Iron Age. If a legion is destroyed in
battle, it is reconstituted rather than being replaced.
Turian wars are often marked by citizen resistance. Most turian families keep small arms in their
homes and take basic training courses that include instruction on how to create simple anti-vehicle
explosive devices. To suppress citizen militias, the Turian Hierarchy makes use of "execution
squads" known as hastatim. First, "safe camps" are established in cities to incentivize surrender.
Next, hastatim soldiers are deployed door-to-door; anyone who refuses to be transported to a safe
camp or demonstrates hostile intent will be shot. Hastatim burial units then retrieve and cremate
the bodies. This approach is necessary because without the safe camps, no turian would ever
surrender, and without the hastatim, it would take years for a population to be pacified.
Relations: Turians are respected for their public service ethicit was the turians who first proposed
creating C-Secbut are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other races. There is some
animosity between turians and humans, largely due to the turian role in the First Contact War. This
bitterness is slowly beginning to heal, but many turians still hate humans, and vice versa. The asari
and salarians, as fellow council races, share excellent relations. The volus, as a client race of the
turians, look to them for protection in exchange for fiscal security. However, the krogan hold a

deep-seated hatred for the turians since the Krogan Rebellions, in which the Turians unleashed the
Genophage upon the krogans.
Alignment: Turian duty, honor, and rigidity steers most towards the lawful alignments, though
neutral or even chaotic outliers are not unheard of.
Homeworld and Colonies: While they hail from Palaven, Turians do have a number of colonies
around the galaxy, like Taetrus and Gellix. They had actually begun spacefaring and colonization
around the same time as the Asari, though they had not found the Citadel yet. As long as the
worlds they find are both habitable and dextro-amino based, the turians colonize them. And
because of their imperialistic expansion, they have quite a number of colonies.
Religion: Turians believe that groups and areas have "spirits" that transcend the individual. For
example, a military unit would be considered to have a literal spirit that embodies the honor and
courage it has displayed. A city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its residents.
An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility of the area it grows within.
These spirits are neither good nor evil, nor are they appealed to for intercession. Turians do not
believe spirits can affect the world, but spirits can inspire the living. Prayers and rituals allow an
individual to converse with a spirit for guidance or inspiration. For example, a turian who finds his
loyalty tested may appeal to the spirit of his unit, hoping to reconnect with the pride and honor of
the group. A turian who wishes to create a work of art may attempt to connect with the spirit of a
beautiful location.
Turians enjoy absolute freedom of religion and can practice whatever appeals to them so long as it
does not impede anyone's ability to perform their duties. There are many practitioners of the asari
siarist philosophy. Since opening dialog with the human Systems Alliance, some turians have
embraced Confucianism and Zen Buddhism.
In the past, turians believed that titans strode across Palaven, reaching for the heavens. They
worshiped these deities and communicated with them at a structure called Temple Palaven. The
temple was tended to by a religious order called the Valluvian Priests, who wear special purple
robes, which obscure their forms. In order for turians to join this order, they had to be considered
worthy enough through some action. When the turians spread out from Palaven and discovered
other life among the stars, however, they sealed Temple Palaven because they no longer needed
legends to prod them upward. With the temple abandoned, eventually the Valluvian Priests fell into
legend.
Names: Turian names are reminiscent of ancient Rome. This encompasses the names of places
and ranks, not just people. Male: Septimus, Saren, Garrus, Adrien. Female: Abrudas, Orinia,
Dinara. Last Names: Victus, Vakarian, Kryik, Arterius.
Adventurers: Turians are comfortable adventurers, universally going into military service at the age
of 15. Most stay in the military indefinitely, even if only as reserves, but some go on to join other
organizations, such as C-Sec or the Blue Suns mercenary groups. Others become explorers or
pirates.
Timeline: Turians had already become spacefarers by 500 BCE. They were first accepted into the
council by 700 CE, after they had already established themselves as a powerful empire.
Turian Racial Traits
+2 Charisma, +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity. Turians are awe-inspiring leaders and tough fighters, but
their lanky build makes them somewhat less flexible and maneuverable than most races.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, Turians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Normal Speed: Turian base land speed is 30 feet.
Specific Build: Turians cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species
like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Hardened Carapace: Turian's outward carapace does not provide conventional protection, but it
does protect against the natural radiation from their homeworld of Palaven. They get a +2 bonus
on Fortitude saves against external radiation effects. They are also immune to all external radiation
effects with a save DC of 10 or less.
Natural Weapon: Turian hands have sharp talons that can be used as weapons in emergencies.
They have a talon attack that deals 1d4 damage slashing damage. On a full round action, both of
these can be used at no penalty, though they can only have two of these attacks, and gain no extra
attacks due to high base attack bonuses.
Tactical Masters: Turians trained in Knowledge (Warfare) gain Skill Focus: Knowledge (Warfare) as

a bonus feat.
Born Leader: Turians have a natural-born aura of command, and can inspire their allies to
greatness. The turian and all allies within 10 feet get a +1 morale bonus to Will saves. At tenth
level, this bonus doubles to +2. This does not stack with other Turians' Born Leader bonusesall
people within the range receive only the highest bonus available to them. All allies (and the turian
himself) temporarily lose this bonus if the Turian becomes affected by any fear effect (shaken,
cowering, etc) or if he is rendered helpless, unconscious, or is dead.
Poor Swimmers: Turians are notoriously bad at swimming, as to be expected given their awkward
frames and heavy metal carapace. They get a -4 to all swim checks.
Dextro-amino biology: Turians are a Dextro-based life form. They must consume special dextro
food and drink or they will be subject to Amino Acid Poisoning. Levo-amino acid life forms
(everything else but Quarians) are subject to Amino Acid Poisoning if they consume dextro-based
food or drink.

Drell
The drell are a reptile-like race that was rescued from their dying homeworld by the hanar following
first contact between the two. Since then, the drell have remained loyal to the hanar for their
camaraderie and have fit comfortably into galactic civilization.
Personality: The Drell, since being saved from their homeworlds impending doom by the Hanar,
have developed something close to a symbiotic relationship with the Hanar, who often find it
difficult to relate to bipeds. The Drell have abandoned many of the traditions that led to their
homeworlds loss, and keep only a few of their old traditions, such as the polytheistic religion of the
ancient Drell. They tend to be a quiet, thoughtful people, and even those who leave Kahje for
adventure across the galaxy have a contemplative quality to them.
Physical Description: Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with an average lifespan of 85
galactic standard years. Drell appearance is very similar to asari
and humans, but their muscle tissue is slightly denser, giving them
a
wiry strength. Although many of their more reptilian features are
concealed, their hyoid bone, located in their throats, is particularly
developed. This allows them to inflate their throats and produce
vocal sounds outside of the human range. They also have two sets
of eyelids, akin to crocodiles. In addition, drell possess the ability
to shed tears.
Because the drell ancestors emerged from arid, rocky deserts, the
humid, ocean-covered hanar homeworld of Kahje proved tolerable
only when the drell stayed inside a climate-controlled dome city.
The leading cause of death for drell on Kahje is Kepral's Syndrome,
caused by cumulative long-term exposure to a humid climate. This
syndrome erodes the ability of drell lungs to take in oxygen, and
eventually spreads out to other organs. It is noncommunicable,
and there is currently no known cure, though leading hanar
scientific authorities are working on creating a genetic adaptation.
The drell possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where
they must remember the location of every necessary resource
(vegetation, drinkable water and prey migration paths) across vast
distances. The memories are so strong that an external stimulus
can trigger a powerful memory recall. These recalls are so vivid
and detailed that some drell may mistake it for reality. This process
can be involuntary.
Biotics among Drell exist, though it is not known if they are
commonplace or unique, due to their rarity as a species.
Government: Since their inclusion on Kahje, the Drell have no real
governmental system of their own, as they no longer have an
independent society. The drell now thrive co-existing with the
hanar and have been a part of the galactic civilization for roughly
two centuries. The debt of gratitude that the drell owe the hanar is

referred to as the Compact, which the drell fulfill by taking on tasks that the hanar find difficult,
such as combat. Any drell may refuse to serve, but as being requested to serve is a great honor,
few turn down the offer.
Military: The drell have no organized fighting force. The hanar have been known to train certain
drell as assassins or bodyguards, but they do not, as a race, have a standing army, militia, or fleet.
Relations: Most drell are content to live on Kahje. They are afforded every opportunity to thrive by
the hanar, yet some outsiders and even some hanar regard the drell as second-class citizens.
However it is quite the opposite, they have integrated themselves into every level of hanar society
as respected, productive citizens.
Those who leave Kahje tend to be adventurers. These solitary drell travelers often seek out new
species elsewhere, and in turn adopt that species' culture. Such drell number in the thousands, and
are scattered across the galaxy, ten ding towards quiet, integrated lives.
Some drell grow a close, personal relationship with the hanar. So much so that the hanar will even
tell the drell their "Soul Name". Drell have adapted to communication with hanar by getting
implants in their eyes to allow them to observe the bioluminescence the hanar use for
communication. Drell such as Thane are able to see ultraviolet light as a silvery color, though might
lose differentiation between colors at the opposite end of the spectrum, such as the difference
between dark red and black.
Alignment: Drell hold no bearings towards any particular alignment, though their contemplative
and natures point them more towards neutrality. However, similarly to humans, they are still quite
prone to extremes.
Homeworld and Colonies: After their arid homeworld of Rakhana was turned barren by an
uncontrolled industrial boom, the Hanar brought the remaining 375,000
Drell to
their homeworld of Kahje, leaving the unfortunate billion others on their
dying planet. The humid Kahje was far from ideal for the Drell, as
they are used to a dry climate. Though they live in special
biosphere-like cities, they became prone to Kepral's syndrome
(similar to cystic fibrosis) from the constant humidity on the
homeworld. They have no other colonies besides their homes on
Kahje, as they are quite dependant on the Hanar.
Religion: Most drell are deeply religious, believing that they have
souls separate from their bodies. They see death as a departure
from the body, and they also state that a person's body and soul
form a Whole. When the soul is traumatized or otherwise
disrupted, or the body is ill or injured, a person is no longer
Whole. They also believe that their body can be directed as a
separate entity from themselves, in the case of Thane Krios taking
no responsibility for his numerous killings, which were ordered by
the hanar. The drell religion is also polytheistic, with the drell
having multiple gods whom they pray to in varying situations.
This religion included at least three gods: Amonkira, Lord of
Hunters; Arashu, Goddess of Motherhood and Protection; and
Kalahira, Goddess of Oceans and Afterlife.
Many of the older traditions of the drell have begun to die out.
The
younger generations no longer believe the old ways of their
ancestors
can help them now, with so many other ways to interpret one's place in the universe. Many drell
have embraced the hanar Enkindlers or the asari philosophies.
Names: First Names: Thane, Kolyat, Feron, Irikah (female). Last Names: Krios
Adventurers: While most Drell live on Kahje with the Hanar, some Drell leave to find adventure for
much the same reasons as members of any other race.
Timeline: The year 1400 was when the industrial boom began to take a serious toll on Rakhana's
ecosystem. By the time the Hanar had first contact with them in 2000, their resources were nearly
depleted.
Drell Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Their denser muscle structure grants them strength,
and they tend to be very light on their feet, but have weak constitutions because of it.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, Drell have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

 Normal Speed: Drell base land speed is 30 feet.

Weakened Immune System: Drell are prone to genetic disease, and this has crippled their
resistance to diseases. They get a -2 to fortitude saves against all diseases and disease effects.
Low-Light Vision: Drell can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Eidetic Memory: Drell poses picture perfect memory, and can recall any moment in their life
perfectly. To represent this, they may choose to take 10 on any knowledge check they are trained
in under any circumstance, even if threatened. After choosing to use this ability, they take a -2 to
their armor class for the next 3 minutes, due to the distractions involved in reliving the moment in
which they learned this information.
Dry Skin: Drell are originally from a naturally arid environment. They are immune to
environmental effects based on heat (though they are not immune to fire or extreme effects), and
may take 10 on any non-tracking Survival checks in desert-like environments. However, prolonged
exposure to humid, non-arid environments can cause their health to deteriorate. After a week of
time without exposure to an arid environment, they must make a Constitution check (DC 10 + 1 per
additional day) or take 1 point of Constitution damage. Once a drell enters a dry environment, he
ceases these checks for another week, and he regains 1d4 points of Constitution lost this way per
hour that he remains in that area.

Batarian
A race of four-eyed bipeds native to the world of Khar'shan, the batarians are a disreputable species
that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Systems are infested with
batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It should be
noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave batarian
space by their omnipresent and paranoid government.
Despite several disagreements with the Citadel and simmering hostility toward humans, most
batarians prefer profitable pursuits such as drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out warfare.
They have a reputation for being shrewd businessmen and merchants, though in more lawless
regions of the galaxy like Omega, negotiations with a batarian are likely to be conducted at
gunpoint.
Personality: Batarians place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and
overstepping one's place is frowned upon. Casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social
better is considered a serious insult. Batarians strongly believe that species with fewer than four
eyes are less intelligent; they often gain the upper hand in interspecies arguments because other
races find it difficult to know which eyes to focus on when speaking to them.
Slavery is an integral part of the batarian caste system, despite being illegal according to Council
law, and it is currently unknown how the batarians maintained standing on the Citadel for so long
with slavery still actively practiced. The custom is so deeply ingrained in batarian culture that
batarians consider the Council's anti-slavery standing to be prejudicial. Rogue batarian slave rings
are feared throughout the galaxy, especially among colonists.
Body language is an important part of batarian society. For example, tilting one's head to the left is
a sign of admiration and respect. When a batarian tilts his head to the right it is a sign that he is (or
considers himself to be) superior to the one that the gesture was directed at. Therefore, this
gesture can also be interpreted as an insult.
Physical Description: Batarians are an anthropoidal race like humans and asari. Their most
distinctive physical feature is their four eyes. The batarians are one of three known intelligent
organic races in the galaxy to have developed more than a single pair of eyes; the other such races,
the yahg, have four pairs, and the Protheans have two pairs. Batarians also exhibit different skin
tone colors: while most encountered batarians are a dark, brown-red hue with pale facial ridges,
some have unique colorations, like black and yellow striped pigmentations with light green facial
ridges.

Batarians have uncommon members who have biotic potential, as many

other races.
Government: The Batarian Hegemony is the ruling force of batarian
interest in the galaxy. The information regarding this government is
shrouded in equal parts mystery and lies. They claim to boast 15 billion
people on their homeworld with an economy that rivals the asari. This
is likely propaganda, though no one is absolutely sure, since nonbatarians are strictly forbidden from the hegemony's territories. It is not
known what the average batarian thinks about their enforced isolation, as
the Department of Information Control ensures that only governmentapproved news enters or leaves batarian space. Given the batarian
government's oppressive nature, it is speculated their supreme leadership is
autocratic or totalitarian in nature. The batarians blame humanity for their
troubles and claim they were forced to fend for themselves, despite the fact
that their exile is largely self-imposed.
Military: Little is known about the batarian military. Most batarian military hardware is produced by
a nationalized institution called Batarian State Arms.
The batarian fleet is known to operate at least one dreadnought (as a non-Citadel race, they are not
bound by the Treaty of Farixen and may have more). They also field smaller vessels, including the
Hensa class of cruisers. However, given one member of this class -- later obtained by
the quarians and refurbished as the Idenna -- was twenty years old in 2183, the batarians may have
retired the Hensa class from active
service by this time.
Their military capacity may have
been weaker than the Systems
Alliance
as early as 2160 (when colonization
of the
Skyllian Verge began) as Balak claims
that
the Council and batarians themselves
knew the humans were stronger but
nothing was done to protect them, and
they were left to defend themselves.
The batarian military has a Special
Forces division known as the Special
Intervention Unit. All that is known
about
the SIU is that their training program is
brutal.
After the Blue Suns hired a group of
former SIU operatives to run a
hostile environment training camp
on the planet Xetic, an investigation
by Illium authorities into the camp
found that the mortality rate was as high as 18%; however, an independent Blue Suns inquiry found
that the batarian operatives' harsh training techniques were consistent with those employed in the
SIU training program.
Whatever the true size and strength of the batarian military, it has been virtually wiped out by the
Reaper onslaught and the few ships that survived the fall of Khar'shan fled to Alliance space along
with thousands of refugees.
Relations: Batarian relations with other races are strained at best. Despite being welcomed into the
galactic community, batarian aggression provoked several crises in galactic relations over the
years. Sometime around 1785 CE, a batarian fleet bombarded the salarian colony world of
Mannovai; in 1913, the Batarian Hegemony annexed the independent asari colony of Esan; and in
2115, Citadel forces skirmished with batarian forces on the planet Enael.
In the early 2160s, humans began to colonize the Skyllian Verge, a region the batarians were
already actively settling. The batarians asked the Citadel Council to intervene and declare the Verge
an area of "batarian interest". When the Council refused, the batarians closed their Citadel embassy
and severed diplomatic and economic relations, becoming an inward-looking rogue state. Their
self-inflicted exile, and their subsequent proxy war against the systems alliance, causes humans to
generally look upon batarians with extreme distrust and prejudice. Other citadel races see them
merely as an annoyance.

Alignment: Batarians are rarely good, usually looking after the interests of themselves or, or as
their race as a whole. That being said, they are not inherently evil either. Batarians who remain
loyal to the hegemony are extremely lawful, following their society above all else. However, some
batarian outlaws can be quite chaotic.
Homeworld and Colonies: Khar'shan is the homeworld of the batarians, though the planet itself is
still controlled by many different nations much like Earth. The hegemony, based out of the
Terminus systems, which fulfills a similar role to the Systems Alliance of humanity, has colonies on
many worlds in the systems such as Adek and Lorek, though they do not branch into Citadel space,
due to their self-imposed exile. They are rarely seen on the Citadel since the advent of humanity.
Some do find themselves in the seedier parts of the galaxy, such as Omega.
Religion: Little is known about batarian religious beliefs, though they do believe in an afterlife.
When a batarian dies, his soul leaves the body through the eyes. Treatment of the corpse is
considered unimportant, unless the batarian's eyes have been removed by an enemy. The
batarians' religious beliefs are based on words from sacred texts (at least one part of which is called
the Pillars of Strength), similar to human Hindu sutras or the Qu'ran.
Names: Batarian names have a very harsh sound to them. They have a two-name system like
humans do. Examples: Balak, Charn, JathAmon. Surnames: Had'dah, Ran'perah, Dal'serah.
Adventurers: As most batarians are confined within the hegemony, most adventuring batarians
would be criminals, mercenaries, merchants, slavers, and drug runners.
Timeline: The batarians first acquired a Citadel embassy in the year 200 BCE. However, they
surrendered that spot in the late 2160s, after many years of strained relations with other Citadel
races. The hegemony was all but destroyed in the reaper attacks of 2186.
Batarian Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Batarians have a brutish strength and cunning to
them, but their horrible reputations and xenophobic outlook makes them less than admirable.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, batarians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Normal Speed: Batarian base land speed is 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Batarians can see twice as far as humans in dim light.
Cruelty: Batarians are notorious for the use of excessive, brutal, and decisive force. They get +1
to all damage rolls. This bonus doubles to +2 at tenth level.
Bonus Feat: Batarians get Alertness as a bonus feat, due to their natural advantage of an extra
pair of eyes.

Krogan
The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for
its harsh environments, scarce resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. The krogan
managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme
conditions. Unfortunately, as krogan society became more technologically advanced, so did their
weaponry.
Four thousand years ago, at the dawn of the krogan nuclear age, battles to claim the small pockets
of territory capable of sustaining life escalated into full scale global war. Weapons of mass
destruction were unleashed, transforming Tuchanka into a radioactive wasteland. The krogan were
reduced to primitive warring clans struggling to survive a nuclear winter of their own creation, a
state that continued until they were discovered by the salarians two thousand years later.
With the help of the salarians, the krogan were "uplifted" into galactic society, and lent their
numbers and military prowess to bring an end to the Rachni Wars (see below). Ironically, after
the rachni were eradicated, the rapidly-expanding krogan became a threat to the galaxy in turn,
starting the Krogan Rebellions and forcing the turians to unleash the Genophage. This genetic
"infection" dramatically reduced fertility in krogan females, causing a severe drop in births
secondary to prenatal and postnatal death and, ultimately, population, eliminating the krogan
numerical advantage.
Personality: The harsh krogan homeworld conditioned the krogan psychology for toughness just as
it did the body. Krogan have always had a tendency to be selfish, unsympathetic, and blunt. They
respect strength and self-reliance and are neither surprised nor offended by treachery. The weak

and selfless do not live long. In their culture, "looking out for number one" is simply a matter of
course. Krogan have powerful territorial instincts, which serve them well in combat, but can create
problems; when traveling on starships, for example, krogan find sharing quarters nearly impossible.
Most krogan trust and serve no one but themselves. This solitary attitude stems in part from a deep
sense of fatalism and futility, a profound social effect of the Genophage that caused krogan
numbers to dwindle to a relative handful. Not only are they angry that the entire galaxy seems out
to get them, the krogan are also generally pessimistic about their race's chances of survival. The
surviving krogan see no point to building for the future; there will be no future. The krogan live with
a generally violent and shortsighted attitude of personal gain.
Female krogan rarely leave their home worlds, focusing on breeding in an attempt to keep krogan
numbers from declining too quickly. The few remaining fertile females who can carry young to term
are treated as prizes of war, to be seized, bartered or fought over. Recently, it has been noted that
the females of the krogan species live in clans separate from that of the males. Envoys are sent out
from the female clans to determine who amongst the males is worthy to visit the female clans. Due
to the effects of the Genophage and the lack of fertile females, this happens often and many male
krogan sire children from one female.
Physical Description: Due to the brutality of their surroundings, natural selection has played a
significant role in the evolution of the krogan. Unlike most sentient species, krogan eyes are wideset - on Earth, this is common among prey animals, and in this case it gives the
krogan
240-degree vision, giving them greater visual acuity and awareness of
approaching predators. Prior to the Genophage, krogan could reproduce
and
mature at an astonishing rate.
Their large shoulder humps store fluids and nutrients, enabling them to
survive extended periods without food or water. A bigger shoulder hump
is
seen as a sign of high status, showing how successful an individual
krogan is at hunting. Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts,
scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant to
environmental hazards, including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat
and cold. Consequently, their diets can include food and drink, which
would prove very dangerous to other speciesa fact reflected in the
krogan liquor of choice, ryncol, which is said to "hit aliens like ground
glass". Younger krogan have yellow or green markings on their hides.
These markings darken to brown or tan over time, showing their age.
Krogan typically stand over 7 feet and weigh roughly one ton in
armor. Biotic individuals are rare, though those who do possess the
talent typically have strong abilities. The most amazing physiological
feature of krogan biology is the multiple instances of major organs.
These secondary (and where applicable, tertiary) systems are capable of
serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological
structures. They have, for example, two hearts, four lungs, and four
testicles. This reflects in their slang, where they often speak about a
"quad" where a human would use the words "balls" or "pair". Krogan also
have a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive fluid,
meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. Krogan bleed a yellow or
orange fluid when shot, which may be this fluid or actual blood.
Having redundant systems makes krogan difficult to kill or incapacitate
in
normal combat scenarios. Sheer physical hardiness means an individual
krogan can expect to live for centuries. Krogan can live for well over a
thousand years.
Government: After their defeat in the Rebellions, the very concept of krogan leadership was
discredited. Where a warlord could once command enough power to bring entire solar systems to
heel and become Overlord, these days it is rare for a single leader to have more than a
thousand warriors swear allegiance to him. It is speculated that their instinctive aggression and
territorial nature prevent the krogan from forming any kind of centralized government or parliament
that is not based on fear or obedience. Instead, Krogan are divided into numerous clans.
Membership in a clan allows a krogan to own property, join the army and apply to serve under a
battlemaster. Young krogan undergo a rite of passage that is overseen by a shaman respective to
the clan the krogan wishes to join. In clan Urdnot, this rite consists of battling various wild fauna on

Tuchanka, ending with an encounter with a thresher maw. Merely surviving for five minutes is
considered proof of worthiness, but killing the thresher maw increases the initiate's prestige and
standing. Few outsiders have seen the rite of passage take place, even though there are no rules in
krogan tradition that state that a non-krogan can't help with the undertaking of the rite by acting as
the participant's krantt. The rite of passage and all other rites and traditions are preserved by the
clan shaman. The shaman must undergo lengthy and torturous rites to assume the position, and is
required to give up his name. Because of this level of commitment, the shaman is one of the most
respected members of a clan.
Military: Traditional krogan tactics were built on attritional mass-unit warfare. Equipped with cheap,
rugged gear, troop formations were powerful but inflexible. Command and control was very
centralized; soldiers in the field who saw a target contacted their commanders behind the lines to
arrange fire support.
Since the Genophage, the krogan can no longer afford the casualties of the old horde attacks. The
Battle Masters are a match for any ten soldiers of another species. To a Battle Master, killing is a
science. They focus on developing clean, brute-force economy of motion that exploits their brutal
strength to incapacitate enemies with a swift single blow of overwhelming power. This change of
focus from mass-unit warfare to maximal efficiency has increased employment demand in the fields
of security and 'muscle for hire.' Due to the unsavory reputation of the krogan, most of these jobs
are on the far side of the law.
Battle Masters are not 'spit and polish,' but they do believe in being well armed and equipped,
preferably with a gun for each limb. They are callous and brutal, but methodical and disciplined.
They use any means at their disposal to achieve their goals, no matter how reprehensible. Hostage
taking and genocide are acceptable means to ensure a quiet occupation with few krogan casualties.
The krogan serving with Saren's forces appear to be returning to the old style of mass attritional
combat. They also work in close cooperation with supporting geth units, who fill in the roles
occupied by combat drones in other armies.
Biotics are rare among the krogan, especially since the practice of surgically creating krogan biotics
has been discontinued (due to the high mortality rate). Those that exist are viewed with suspicion
and fear. The krogan see this aura of fear as a
useful
quality for an officer, and often promote them. Combat drones
and
other high- tech equipment are likewise in short
supply.
Since the end of the Krogan Rebellions, the krogan
have been prohibited from constructing warships. This ban
is enforced by the Council Demilitarization
Enforcement Mission arm of the Citadel Council,
which maintains garrisoned outposts throughout
the Krogan DMZ. Every few years, another
krogan
warlord violates the law, but usually an alliance
of rivals
ends his dreams of hegemony before
Citadel
forces even have to fire a shot.
Relations: Krogan are viewed as brutes by
most
other races. They prized as powerful warriors
in the
seedier parts of the world, around Omega
and in
the Blood Pack specifically. However, in Citadel space, they
are
viewed as barbarians. Likewise, the krogan view many other races, specifically the Turians, for
unleashing the Genophage, and the salarians, for creating it, with disdain.
Alignment: The fatalistic krogan rarely find themselves on the side of law. Their self-centered
natures usually point them towards neutrality or evil, though genuinely good krogan are not
uncommon. Since Urdnot Wrex's attempt at unifying the krogan, many have begun to embrace a
'peaceful' stance (at least by krogan standards).
Homeworld and Colonies: Krogan reside on their irradiated homeworld of Tuchanka, though they
previously had many colonies on other worlds after their victory against the rachni and before the
Krogan Rebellions, such as on Gellix and Gembat. Now, the only real concentrations of Krogan
besides mercenary groups are on Tuchanka, though some Krogan live on worlds such as Garvug.
Religion: Krogan are not shown to have strong religious beliefs. The closest they come is to
establish ritualistic burial grounds called the Hollows, where the skulls of their ancestors are
displayed to remind them of "where we all come from, and where we all go." The Hollows are as

sacred as any krogan place can be, and violence there is forbidden. Several krogan also mention a
place called "the Void" which seems to be the krogan version of the afterlife. The Shamans seem to
be the primary keepers of krogan religion, and act as their spiritual leaders.
Names: Krogan have a two-name system, with the clan name preceding their personal name.
Examples of this are Urdnot Wrex, Urdnot Bakara (female), Weyrloc Guld, and Gatatog Uvenk.
Adventurers: Most krogan find themselves as mercenaries, bounty hunters, or hired muscle. They
are exceptionally feared and very dangerous enemies. Very rarely, a krogan will apply his life
towards scientific advances, and might try to fight the Genophage. Other krogan might work to
unify the krogan under a single banner, much like they had in their pasts.
Timeline: After the nuclear winter of 1900 BCE, Tuchanka fell from its former glory. They warred
among each other in small clans until the year 80 CE, when they were uplifted by the salarians as
cannon fodder against the rachni. The population boomed shortly after that, until the Genophage
was introduced around 700 CE. After that, they collapsed back into lawless mercenary work and
clan warfare.
Krogan Racial Traits
+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. Krogan are incredibly tough and durable,
but their larger size makes them clumsy and cumbersome. Their people skills are also a bit
lackluster.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, krogan have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Slow Speed: Krogan have a base speed of 20 feet.
Specific Build: Krogan cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species
like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Natural Armor: Krogan have hard plates and thick carapaces. They get a +1 natural armor
bonus.
Natural Weapon: Krogan have a ram attack (using their hard head plate) that deals 1d6
bludgeoning damage. This counts as a two-handed weapon for the purposes of adding strength to
damage and determining additional power attack damage. If used on a charge, in addition to the
+2 to the attack and -2 to AC, the ram attack also deals an additional 1d6 damage (as a powerful
charge). This can be used even if the krogan's hands are occupied.
Bonus Feats: Krogan gain Toughness, Intimidating Prowess, and Great Fortitude as bonus feats.
Fast Healing: Krogan are nigh impossible to stop on the battlefield. They have Fast Healing 1.
This bonus improves by 1 at every 10th level (Fast Healing 2 at level 10, Fast Healing 3 at level 20,
and so on.)
Blood Rage: The only thing worse than a krogan is a pissed off krogan. Once per day, krogan
may choose to enter a blood rage as an immediate action after taking damage or after defeating an
opponent with a melee attack. This rage gives the krogan +2 Strength and +2 Constitution, but he
takes a -2 to AC while in the rage. The rage lasts for 4 + the krogan's new constitution modifier
rounds. While in this rage, the krogan cannot make a Dexterity-, Charisma-, or Intelligence-based
skill check (except Acrobatics, Biotics that don't require concentration, Intimidate, and Ride.) The
krogan gets 1 additional hit point per hit dice, though these are not temporary hit points (they can
be restored, but are not taken from first, and are lost after the rage.) The krogan cannot end the
rage voluntarily. If the Krogan gets a different rage effect from a class, it loses this racial ability and
adds +2 to the number of rounds that rage can be used for.
Level Adjustment: +1. The Krogan has hit die of d12 for their Krogan level. This level also grants
them their 1st level feat, as a normal character, and a base attack bonus of +1. They also get 2 +
Int Mod worth of skills. Krogan class skills are: Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), and
Survival (Wis). They are proficient in pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, simple weapons, martial
weapons, and all armor.

Quarian
The quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and
synthetic intelligence. Since their homeworld, Rannoch, was conquered, the quarians live aboard
the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of starships that travel as a single fleet.
Approximately three hundred years before the events of Mass Effect, the quarians created the geth,

a species of rudimentary artificial intelligences, to serve as an efficient source of manual labor.

However, when the geth gradually became sentient, the
quarians became terrified
of possible consequences and tried to destroy their
creations. The geth
won the resulting war and forced their creators into exile.
Now the quarians
wander the galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships,
secondhand
vessels, and recycled technology.
Personality: The quarians' top priority is the survival and
sustainability of
the Migrant Fleet. Most of their laws and customs revolve
around this goal.
It is illegal for couples to have more than one child, so that
the fleet can
maintain zero population growth (if the population begins
to shrink, this rule
is temporarily lifted, and incentives may be provided to
encourage
multiple births). Families are thus very small and closeknit. Because
every quarian depends on his or her crewmates to
survive, they
are much more community-minded than
individualistic species like the krogan. Loyalty,
trust,
and cooperation are highly prized qualities.
Even in
their ancient past, they were a very emotional
people,
which the Protheans believed was a side
effect
of their eco-symbiotic society
Quarians enjoy storytelling as a means of
escape from their often-trying lives aboard
the
fleet, and are known to hold dancers in high
esteem.
Physical Description: Quarians are
generally shorter and of slighter build
than humans. Quarians have an
endoskeleton, lips, teeth, and two eyes
with eyelids and tear ducts; they also
have three thick fingers on both hands,
which include a thumb, an index finger, and a long finger, similar to the middle fingers for humans,
as well as three toes on each foot. Quarian facial structure and hair actually makes them the most
similar to humans in physical appearance. Their lower legs are bowed backwards significantly,
compared to asari or humans. Aside from hands and legs, their general body shape and sexual
dimorphism is similar to humans. Their ears or ear analogues differ in a noticeable fashion from
those o f humans, with references made to "what [passes] for the quarian version of an ear".
The most distinguishing feature of quarian biology is their weak immune system, compounded by
centuries of living in sterile environments. As a result, all quarians by necessity dress in highly
sophisticated enviro-suits, to protect them from disease or infection if they are injured. Their suits
can be compartmentalized in the event of a tear or similar breach to prevent the spread of
contaminants (similar to a ship sealing off bulkheads in the event of a hull breach). Along with their
suits, quarians also have extensive cybernetic augmentations integrated into their bodies. A
quarian's lifespan is roughly equal to a human's, but is prone to be less if infection breaks into the
suit.
Quarian immune systems have always been relatively weak, as pathogenic microbes were
comparatively rare in their homeworld's biosphere. Furthermore, what few viruses and other
microbes were native to their homeworld were often at least partly beneficial to them, giving them
a symbiotic relationship with their environment. After living aboard the Migrant Fleet for
generations, the quarians' immune systems have atrophied further still due to the years in the
sterile environment of the Migrant Fleet. As such, quarians are given various vaccinations and
immunizations to help ward off disease. However, they prefer the safety of their suits even in clean
environments and are reluctant to remove them without a good reason.
A quarian who wishes to remove their suit must take antibiotics, immuno-boosters, herbal
supplements, or the like in order to do so safely and even then there are inherent risks. As a result,
physical acts of affection are difficult for quarians, even for the purposes of reproduction. Ships in
the Migrant Fleet often contain "clean rooms" where quarians can give birth or undergo medical
procedures in relative safety, though there are always risks. The most intimate thing quarians can
do is link their suit environments. However, doing so guarantees a quarian will get sick, although
they will usually adapt over time.

Like turians, the quarians are a dextro-protein species of reverse chirality from humans and asari.
The food of levo-protein races such as humans or asari is at best inedible and at worst poisonous,
most likely triggering a dangerous allergic reaction. Quarians who want to taste something (other
than the refined edible paste issued to all who leave on their Pilgrimage) can eat specially purified
turian cuisine.
Quarian biotics are possible, but rare. The sterile environments of the flotilla provide little
opportunity for eezo exposure, and the importance of the individual and the expense of the study
make induced biotic potential an unthinkable hazard for the quarians.
Government: In theory the Migrant Fleet is still under martial law, meaning the captain of a ship
has the final say on disputes, but in practice,
the quarians are quite democratic. Each ship
has an elected civilian council and the captain
often defers to their judgment. Overruling the
council without a good reason is grounds for
the captain to be removed.
Representatives from each ship serve on the
Conclave, the civilian government. The
Conclave makes the day-to-day decisions
about Fleet business: collection of resources,
the current course of the Flotilla, policing and
so on. Opposition comes from a group called
the Outriders' Coalition. The Conclave is
overseen by the Admiralty Board, five quarians
who can override the Conclave's decisions.
Once they have chosen to override the
decision, the entire Admiralty Board must
resign their posts or be arrested by the quarian
military. This rule is in place to ensure that the
Admiralty overrides the Conclave only in the
most dire situations, when the Conclave is
making a mistake that threatens the survival
of the quarians as a species. This policy has
served the quarians well. In three centuries,
the Admiralty Board has only overridden the Conclave four times.
Most issues are handled internally before it would need to be brought to the Conclave or the
Admiralty Board, however. The commanding officer of the ship (always referred to by the quarians
as the Captain) has the last word on all events aboard the ship. This policy ensures that any petty
issues that need resolving are done so quickly and efficiently. Only the most dire of situations need
to be brought to the higher-ups.
Outside the internal politics of the Migrant Fleet, the quarian navy is small, but highly aggressive
due to the need to protect ships that effectively safeguard the future of their entire race. If the
motives of approaching ships cannot be established, they will shoot to kill.
Military: In the early years, many quarian freighters were armed and used as irregular "privateers."
Civilian ships still show a strong preference for armament, making them unpopular targets for
pirates. Indeed, it is mentioned that almost all ships in the Migrant Fleet carry ship-to-ship
armaments of some sort and to varying degrees. Though they have rebuilt their military, there are
still mere hundreds of warships to protect the tens of thousands of ships. The quarian navy follows
strict routines of patrol, and takes no chances. If the intent of an approaching ship cannot be
ascertained, they shoot to kill.
For this reason, young quarians on their Pilgrimage are given code phrases to repeat upon their
return, as they often arrive back in vessels they have bought or scavenged which are unknown to
the Flotilla. One phrase denotes a successful Pilgrimage and the quarian navy will permit them to
rejoin the Fleet; the other alerts the navy that the quarian is returning under duress, and their ship
will be immediately destroyed.
Some young men and women train to become marines, who act as security aboard the ships . The
Migrant Fleet Marines also act as special agents when the quarians require ground teams.
Relations: The Systems Alliance has no political relations with the quarians because the Migrant
Fleet has not yet passed through any human-controlled area of space. Other species tend to look

down on the quarians for several reasons, the foremost of which being their supposed 'unleashing'
of the geth upon the galaxy. This act led to the quarians' losing their embassy on the Citadel.
Quarians are often viewed as beggars and thieves. It is not uncommon for local police forces to
assume the worst of young quarians on their pilgrimage, viewing them with unjust suspicion.
Because of the Flotilla's limited resources, quarians strip-mine the systems they pass through,
which often puts them at odds with any species currently settled there. The Migrant Fleet also tends
to drop off criminals on planets it passes, because the quarians cannot support a non-productive
prison populationthey simply lack the resources. However, life on the Migrant Fleet means
quarians have unique skills. As Tali demonstrates, the quarians have developed an imperfect
technique for recovering data from geth memory cores. They are masters at maintaining and
converting technology, especially ship parts, and they are also expert miners because the Fleet
requires huge amounts of fuel. They are able to repair what most species would melt down. This
proficiency means corporations sometimes quietly hire quarians "on the side" if the Migrant Fleet is
nearby, replacing existing workers, much to their annoyance.
This unpopularity, and the fact their entire species travels and works as one, makes most quarians
quite insular, caring only about the continued survival of the Migrant Fleet. Their nomadic life and
exclusion from the Citadel mean that the concerns of the Citadel races don't particularly interest or
impress them.
In general, many quarians look at the geth as a horrible mistake that they wish to eradicate, if they
had the means for it. However, some view them as potential tools, or even as justified beings.
Regardless, the geth view them in a defensive manner, and have only engaged the quarians in
combat because they have been threatened.
Alignment: Quarians have no affinity towards a particular alignment. However, their communitycentric mindset usually pushes them from evil or chaos. Outliers are rare, but not unheard of.
Homeworld and Colonies: Their homeworld of Rannoch has been lost to them after their conflict
with the geth. Their specific biology makes colony life incredibly difficult, and most of their
colonies, such as Haestrom and Adas, have been lost by nature or by the geth. For that reason,
they have existed in the Migrant Fleet, the largest fleet of spaceships in the entire galaxy. The
migrant fleet is an amalgamation of 50,000 ships repurposed from old quarian and non-quarian
vessels. They are broken into four different sub-fleets, each lead by one of the Admiralty Board
members.
The Patrol Fleet manages navigation, internal security, and intership conflicts or crimes for the
Migrant Fleet. The Patrol Fleet consists of mostly light frigates and fighters, and in times of war is
assigned to guard the Heavy Fleet's flank. The Civilian Fleet consists of all of the quarians' civilian
ships, the majority of the Migrant Fleet, and the liveships. The Heavy Fleet is the main military
force of the Migrant Fleet, comprised of all quarian vessels suited for sustained combat, including
several heavy frigates and advanced fighter squadrons. The Special Projects arm of the Migrant
Fleet is a collection of research vessels responsible for many technical breakthroughs used by the
rest of the Fleet.
Religion: The quarians used to practice a form of ancestor worship. This involved taking a
personality imprint from the individual and developing it into an interface similar to a VI. The
quarians began experimenting with making these imprints more and more sophisticated, hopefully
leading to the wisdom of their ancestors being preserved in an imprint that could be truly
intelligent. However, the geth destroyed the quarians' ancestor databanks when they rebelled.
Some quarians saw their subsequent exile as punishment for their hubris, but most accept that the
geth rebellion was a mistake, not a punishment. Quarians still have a great deal of respect for their
ancestors, in spite of the loss of their ancestor's databanks.
Names: Quarian names are composed of four partsthe quarian's given name and clan name
separated by an apostrophe, the title ('nar' means 'child of', referring to their birth ship, while 'vas',
adopted after the quarian has completed their Pilgrimage and joined a ship, means 'crew of') and
the name of their vessel. Male Examples: Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Zaal'Korris vas Quib Quib. Female
Examples: Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Shala'Raan vas Tonbay.
Adventurers: Most quarians don't leave the flotilla. However, all young quarians go on a
pilgrimage to bring back something useful to the fleet. This is the perfect setup for a quarian
adventurer. Rarely, quarian criminals are exiled from the fleet, and some quarians don't return to
the fleet after their pilgrimage. These are also good prompts for adventurers.
Timeline: Quarians were granted a Citadel embassy in the year 1 CE. In 1895, the geth uprising
occurred, and they were expelled from Rannoch. For the next 300 years, they would live in the

flotilla.
Quarian Racial Traits
+2 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Quarian minds and movements are nimble and
precise, but their sterile lifestyle among the Migrant Fleet has left them with less-than admirable
constitutions.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, quarians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Normal Speed: Quarian base land speed is 30 feet.
Specific Build: Quarians cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species
like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Weakened Immune System: Quarians no longer have access to the positive environmental
bacteria they once depended upon, and this has crippled their resistance to diseases. They get a -2
to fortitude saves against all diseases and disease effects. Quarian's unique biology also makes
any disease that effects them turn into Quarian Fever instead of whatever other disease it would
normally be. Poisons are unaffected.
Bonus Feat: Quarians are intuitive, and have hands as fast as their minds. They get Deft Hands
as a bonus feat.
Dismantle: Quarian technological affinity can be used for destruction as easily as it can be used
for creation. They get a +1 circumstance bonus on all attack and damage rolls against synthetics,
vehicles, and any other non-biological target (but not inanimate objects, like doors or crates.) This
bonus increases to +2 at tenth level.
Quarian Environmental Suit: Quarian biology and weakened immune systems require them to be
in an environmental suit almost constantly. This is at no additional cost to the wearer, as their
survival is dependent on it, and is as simple to construct as basic clothing. Quarian's unique leg
and arm structures require them to wear specific armor crafted for them, which always provides the
basic environmental suit protection that a civilian suit gives, plus the added protection needed for
warfare.
-Suit Punctures: When a quarian's armor class is broken by 5 or greater from a piercing or slashing
source, and damage is done to their hit points (not barriers, or temporary hit points), a hole or gash
is torn in the suit, putting the quarian at risk for Quarian Fever. The fortitude DC to prevent
infection is 10 + (attack that punctured - AC). Consult the Quarian Fever entry of the disease
section for effects.
If the quarian's armor class is broken by 10 or more, and hit points are damaged, the damage to the
suit is too extensive to be repaired by the suit's automatic repair system. The quarian will have to
continue to make checks against contracting Quarian Fever at the beginning of every round, but the
DC will increase by 1 every round until the hole is patched. A standard action with a Electronics
check with DC equal to 10 + (attack that punctured - AC) will repair the hole. At every tenth level,
these bonuses become +2 instead of +1, and they become +3 at level 20.
-Suit Applications: Suits can have a number of programs installed on them for the user's
convenience. The applications can be easily uninstalled and exchanged for new applications any
number of times. Changing out an application takes 1 minute. During this time, the applications
that are being removed or added do not grant the bonuses they normally confer. Quarians can
have a number of programs in their suits equal to their armor's enhancement bonus (minimum 1).
ImmunoBoost: This program provides a steady, minute stream of mild antibiotics that strengthen
the quarian's naturally weak immune systems. This application confers a +1 bonus to all fortitude
saves.
Adrena-Rush: This program senses the release of adrenaline and monitors the heart rate. Upon
detection of adrenal release, it injects a small dose of temporary blood thinner to speed the flow of
the adrenaline throughout the body, maximizing the natural response mechanism itself. This
application confers a +1 to all reflex saves.
Nerve-Stim Pro: This program can provide a small neural shock to any nerve in the body. While
many quarians use this program to enhance emotional responses or pleasure, it can also be used to
relax the entirety of the nervous system, calming the user and allowing them to focus through
stress. This application confers a +1 to all will saves.
QuickPatch: This enhanced auto-suit repair function is vital on the front lines, where suit punctures
are a constant threat. You get +1 AC against rolls for confirming critical hits. This application also
increases the threshold for punctures that require manual fixing by 5 (punctures exceeding AC by

10 or 14 are automatically closed, and do not require a Electronics check.) This threshold increases
to 10 at level 10, and 20 at level 20.
Mech's Friend: This handy VI provides vital information about any number of technological devices
onto the visor of the quarian, and can even assist in repairs and hacks. This application provides a
+1 bonus to Electronics skill checks.
Sense-o-Matic: This application enhances the audio and olfactory systems of the suit, and it
provides many different scanning programs that help notice things that might go unnoticed by the
blind eye. This application confers a +1 bonus to Perception skill checks.
NightLight: This program automatically detects when a darkness threshold is met, and kicks in to
enhance the stimuli of light to aid sight in the darkness. Conveniently, it also automatically adjusts
to decrease the intensity of extremely bright lights, akin to sunglasses. This application gives the
user low-light vision, and it also grants a circumstantial +1 bonus to any saves against effects that
cause blinding from light sources, such as flash-bangs.
Precision VI: This VI is the quarian marine's best friend. It aids with precision firing, revealing weak
points in the target, and providing a pseudo-zooming effect to make every shot count. This
application grants a +1 to all attack rolls.
Dextro-amino biology: Quarians, like turians, are a Dextro-based life form. They must consume
special dextro food and drink or they will be subject to Amino Acid Poisoning. Levo-amino acid life
forms (everything else but Turians) are subject to Amino Acid Poisoning if they consume dextrobased food or drink.

Volus
The volus are an associate race on the Citadel with their own embassy,
but are also a client race of the turians. They hail from Irune, which
possesses a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support an
ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the volus must wear pressure
suits and breathers when dealing with other species.
Because they are not physically adept compared to most species, volus
mostly make their influence felt through trade and commerce, and they
have a long history on the Citadel. However, they have never been
invited to join the Council, which is a sore point for many volus
individuals.
Personality: Volus culture is dominated by trade, whether it is of land,
resources, or even other tribe members. The volus have a reputation as
traders and merchants, and many, work as some of the best financial
advisers in Citadel space. Due to the volus not being physically adept,
they tend not to be violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and
cowardly to other, more militant species. Their inability to provide
adequate soldiers for themselves and the Citadel is a primary reason for
not yet being inducted into the Council. Some volus are quite sour over
their existence outside the council.
Physical Description: The volus homeworld Irune features an ammonia-based ecology and a
gravitational field 1.5 times that of Earth, as well as a high-pressure atmosphere. This is reflected in
the physiology of the volus themselves. The volus are unable to survive unprotected in an
atmosphere more suitable to humans and other carbon-based life forms, and as such require
protective suits capable of providing the proper atmosphere, as well as being pressurized to support
the volus. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure
atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open. Volus have very
recognizable speech, as it is filtered through the suit. Their special suits also have very noisy
respiratory functions, which interrupt their speech periodically.
Rarely, a volus can become a biotic. However, it is presumably not a common trait, and their power
is likely not in the same league as other biotics.
Government: The volus government is known as the Vol Protectorate. Rather than being a fully
sovereign government in its own right, the Protectorate is a client state of the Turian Hierarchy. In
return for falling under the protective umbrella of the turian military, the volus pay a tax to the
Hierarchy, as well as deferring to the turians in all foreign policy matters and providing auxiliary

troops to the turian armed forces. They still maintain an embassy on the Citadel, making them an
associate species of the Council, though they currently share their embassy with the elcor.
Military: The volus are not physically cut out for combat, be it a full-scale war or even a bar room
scuffle. As such, they are highly dependent on the turians for defense, although the volus
themselves do provide some auxiliary troops to the Hierarchy. The volus will support the turians in
any war they might pursue, and the turians will do the same for the volus.
Possibly, for this reason, volus weaponry tends to be utilitarian rather than high-grade. Some
volus manufacturers specialize in cheaper, lower-grade copies of expensive turian equipment.
Volus prefer airpower in conflicts, counting on turians for ground support. They maintain several
flotillas of heavy-bomber frigates capable of warfare in any atmosphere.
The volus have only produced one dreadnought, the Kwunu, named after the diplomat who
negotiated their client-race status with the turians. The Kwunu is the only volus ship of its class, but
it is remarkably well-armed. Its broadside cannons and main gun are all Thanix MagneticHydrodynamic Weapons. A turian general touring the Kwunu after its maiden system-voyage
enthusiastically declared that the ship could "char a planet three times over". While its construction
was funded entirely by the Elkoss Combine Corporation, the dreadnought was jointly gifted to the
Vol Protectorate and Turian Hierarchy upon completion.
Relations: Few races give the volus a second thought, accepting them as allies (the asari, salarians,
and especially turians are grateful for their
Unified Banking Act, which standardized the
credit.) The volus are a bit sour towards the
humans for their sudden rise to fame out of
nowhere, and their usurpation to the council.
But besides that, most see the volus as traders,
merchants, bankers, and brokers who care more
about economics and credits than lives other
than their own. While not all volus are that cold,
some most certainly are.
Alignment: Volus have no extreme tendencies
towards alignments, though their usual caution
and cowardice makes them tread carefully in the
chaotic zone. Though philanthropy and greed are both common aspects of the volus banker, their
caution makes them avoid the extremes of alignment, as they tend to be the least safe.
Homeworld and Colonies: While they are originally from Irune, the Volus have bartered for many
colonies across the galaxy over the centuries, such as Boro and Zada Ban. The ammonia-based
atmosphere of Irune is not a common one, however, and terraforming a planet for volus
colonization can take some time, as we see on Alahya.
Religion: Little is known about volus religious practices, but they likely take a backseat to economic
practices that the volus are so consumed in. The Book of Plenix is an artifact of possibly religious
value, which likely contains a code of religious conduct from a more religious past of the volus,
much like other holy books in other various religions.
Names: Volus have two names but no family names. According to volus sensibilities, you cannot
own a person, so using a family name would essentially be laying claim to their offspring. Possibly,
because of their tribal origins, volus tend to refer to members of other races by their source world
rather than species name (i.e. "Earth-clan" instead of "human") Examples: Barla Von, Din Korlack,
Niftu Cal
Adventurers: In general, the volus make terrible adventurers. However, some volus may adventure
in search of new business opportunities or wealth, though their cautious cowardice would often bar
the way in more dangerous scenarios, preferring diplomacy and bartering to confrontation. If a
volus is involved in a confrontation, the volus is likely trying to flee and cover his tracks, which can
also lead to quite an 'adventure.'
Timeline: The volus were invited to the Citadel in the year 200 BCE, and have been a client race of
the turians ever since 700 CE, near the end of the Krogan Rebellions.
Volus Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength, -2 Dexterity. Volus are hardy thanks to
Irune's high gravity. They are keen in mind as they are cautious, but their physical prowess in both
speed and power is lackluster.

Small Size: Volus are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus
on attack rolls, a 1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and
a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Slow Speed: Volus have a base speed of 20 feet.
Specific Build: Volus cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species like
the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Low-Light Vision: Volus can see twice as far as humans in dim light.
Bonus Feats: Volus are hardy, paranoid, shrewd businessmen. They get Alertness, Great
Fortitude, Skill Focus (Appraise), and Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as bonus feats.
Mercantilism: Volus are experts at negotiation, especially when it involves money. Appraise and
Diplomacy count as class skills for them, regardless of their class.
Investments: Volus have more bank accounts and investments than most people have family
members. The volus receives bonus credits to their account upon level up. Each level (including
the first) the volus gets (Character level x Int mod x 5000) credits.
Pressure Suit: Volus hail from a planet that maintains gravity much higher than most species'
planets. To compensate for this, they almost always require a pressure suit to prevent their bodies
from splitting apart. These pressure suits, like the quarians, come at no additional cost to the volus.
Their small stature also requires them to wear specific armor, which always contains the life support
systems needed by the volus.
-Suit Punctures: When a volus's armor class is broken by 5 or greater from a piercing or slashing
source, and damage is done to their hit points (not shields, barriers, or temporary hit points), a hole
or gash is torn in the suit, putting the volus's life at risk. They immediately take an additional 3d6
damage from the trauma caused by the difference in gravity. A fortitude save of DC 10 + (attack
that punctured - AC) will reduce the damage to 1d6.
If the volus's armor class is broken by 10 or more, and hit points are damaged, the damage to the
suit is too extensive to be repaired by the suit's automatic repair system. The volus will have to
continue to take damage at the beginning of every round with fortitude saves for damage
reduction, but the DC will increase by 1 every round until the hole is patched. A standard action
with an Electronics check with DC equal to 10 + (attack that punctured - AC) will repair the hole.
Ammonia Respirator: Oxygen is poisonous to the volus. The respirator build into the suits they
wear ensure they have a supply air that they can safely breathe. If exposed to oxygen (usually by
their suit being removed or their respirator being damaged) they immediately begin to suffocate.
-Suit Applications: Suits can have a number of programs installed on them for the user's
convenience. The applications can be easily uninstalled and exchanged for new applications any
number of times. Changing out an application takes 5 minutes. During this time, the applications
that are being removed or added do not grant the bonuses they normally confer.
ImmunoBoost: This program provides a steady, minute stream of mild antibiotics that strengthen
the volus's immune systems. This application confers a +1 bonus to all fortitude saves.
Adrena-Rush: This program senses the release of adrenaline and monitors the heart rate. Upon
detection of adrenal release, it injects a small dose of temporary blood thinner to speed the flow of
the adrenaline throughout the body, maximizing the natural response mechanism itself. This
application confers a +1 to all reflex saves.
Nerve-Stim Pro: This program can provide a small neural shock to any nerve in the body. While
many quarians use this program to enhance emotional responses or pleasure, it can also be used to
relax the entirety of the nervous system, calming the user and allowing them to focus through
stress. This application confers a +1 to all will saves.
QuickPatch: This enhanced auto-suit repair function is vital on the front lines, where suit punctures
are a constant threat. You get +1 AC against rolls for confirming critical hits. This application also
increases the threshold for punctures that require manual fixing by 5 (punctures exceeding AC by
10 or 14 are automatically closed, and do not require an Electronics check.) This threshold
increases to 10 at level 10, and 20 at level 20.
The Politician: This handy VI provides information on the vitals, such as heart rate and repetitive
movements (tells), of a given target, allowing the volus to gain the upper hand on another person
during conversation. It confers a +1 bonus to Sense Motive.
Sense-o-Matic: This application enhances the audio and olfactory systems of the suit, and it
provides many different scanning programs that help notice things that might go unnoticed by the
blind eye. This application confers a +1 bonus to Perception skill checks.
NoPain: Volus don't need to be afraid of pain if they don't get hurt. This program provides a +1

shield bonus to AC.

Precision VI: Sometimes, even a volus needs to get his hands dirty. This program aids with
precision firing, revealing weak points in the target, and providing a pseudo-zooming effect to make
every shot count. This application grants a +1 to all attack rolls.

Vorcha
Known for their unique biology and aggressive behavior, the vorcha are a primitive race that live
among the galaxy's darker and more dangerous locations, such as Omega. Many vorcha are trained
by the krogan Blood Pack as mercenaries due to their savage nature and adaptability to different
environments. The rest of galactic civilization regards them as pests and scavengers, and their
presence is generally seen as a blight.
Personality: Vorcha society is built around combat. In fact, the vorcha use combat, both singly and
in groups, as their default form of communication resulting in their communications being primarily
non-verbal. The vorcha are a clan based people who prefer living in
communal
environments with others of their species to living alone or in the company
of alien
races. When a clan population grows too large, younger members will
depart to
start a new clan elsewhere. The vorcha are extremely aggressive,
both
against rivals of their own species and against any alien who
stands in
their way. Vorcha who have managed to escape their homeworld
have
a tendency to occupy uninhabited areas of space stations or
larger spaceships.
The vorcha are not themselves a space-faring race, although
many have found their way off-world as stowaways on ships
visiting their homeworld. The vorcha who escaped their hostile
homeworld did so by hiding on the ships of space-faring races that
had the misfortune of visiting their planet. Their adaptability and
resilience allows them to flourish in the dark and dirty corners of
the
places they end up.
Physical Description: The vorcha are the shortest-lived sapient
species
currently known, with an average lifespan of only 20 years.
The
vorcha are known for a rather unique biology that
differentiates them from other known species and which
carries
with it a striking set of advantages and disadvantages. The
vorcha have clusters of non-differentiated cells, similar to those found on the Planarian
worm of Earth. These cells allow the vorcha limited regenerative abilities, as well as the ability to
adapt quickly to its environment, such as developing thicker skin after being burned or increased
musculature to survive in high gravity. When a vorcha is injured or in distress, these cells move to
the affected area and rapidly (~1 week) mature to specialized forms that will alleviate the issue.
A vorcha that is cut or burned will adapt to have thicker skin. The lungs of a vorcha placed in a
barely-breathable atmosphere will adapt to better use the gases there. A vorcha subjected to high
gravity will quickly develop stronger heart and leg muscles. Non-differentiated vorcha cell clusters
do replenish themselves, but the process is slow. Generally, vorcha can only adapt to a single
environment within their brief lives. However, what cells are replaced allow them to heal rapidly,
and even to regrow lost limbs over a period of months.
However, as a consequence of this, the vorcha as a species no longer evolve as other races do. The
vorcha equivalent of DNA has remained unchanged for millions of years. There is no need for them
to evolve as a species when they can adapt as individuals.
Due to their adaptive natures, biotic capabilities are quite conceivable in the vorcha.
Government: The vorcha have no concept of what government is, nor do they have any semblance
of order in their society. The vorcha originate from a small, hostile, overcrowded planet, which has
been largely stripped of natural resources by successive generations of this fast-breeding, savage
species. The lack of resources has resulted in a tight-knit, clan based society in which rival clans
wage constant war against one another for control of scarce resources. Even as their population
grows, the vorcha constantly fight each other in fierce competition over basic necessities. This
incessant warfare has made each generation of vorcha stronger and more aggressive than that,

which preceded it. However, their continual lack of resources has kept vorcha society extremely
primitive.
Military: The vorcha have no organized military.
However, they are very violent and savage creatures,
and are ferocious fighters because of their violent
nature. Seeing the potential of the vorcha's individual
adaptability, krogan Blood Pack mercenaries often sweep
pockets of vorcha, gathering them up and literally
beating them into soldiers. Vorcha "trained" by this
ordeal are stronger, faster, smarter, and more resilient
than other members of the race. Gaining even a few
vorcha gives a mercenary band a formidable advantage;
each additional vorcha magnifies the gangs combat
ferocity exponentially.
Relations: Vorcha are almost universally seen as a blight
or as pests. Some more 'clever' vorcha are used as
cannon fodder or tools of manipulation by some of the
seedier elements of the galaxy, but they have absolutely
no impact on the greater galactic society, as they have
no real organization.
Alignment: Given their savagery and violent dispositions, vorcha are almost always chaotic, and
almost never good.
Homeworld and Colonies: The vorcha are from Heshtok, a small, overpopulated, and incredibly
hostile. They have no real colonies, flocking to seedy establishments, like the slums of Omega.
They have been known to squat on normally uninhabitable planets, as their uncanny survivability
lets them live in less-than-ideal locations quite easily. Krogan and Vorcha often find themselves
inhabiting the same normally uninhabitable regions.
Religion: Vorcha have no concept of religion, unless you consider "communication through
violence" a religion.
Names: Vorcha appear to have only one given name. Their names are harsh and "gross" sounding,
much like the vorcha themselves. Examples: Grylle, Kreete, Shisk.
Adventurers: Vorcha are easily manipulated, and often have no permanent homes. This can make
their inclusion into a campaign rather easy, as they can just be wanderers or be inducted into a
mercenary group. However, that won't make their inter-party communication any easier.
Timeline: It is unknown as to when the vorcha first made contact with other races. They made first
contact with humanity in 2184, during a Blood Pack raid. Their existence in the Blood Pack at this
time alludes to their presence amongst the other alien races prior to this.
Vorcha Racial Traits
+2 Strength, +4 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, -4 Intelligence, - 4 Charisma. Vorcha savage, agile,
and unnaturally hardy. However, they are socially and mentally inept; most other races see them
akin to rats.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, vorcha have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Fast Speed: Vorcha base land speed is 40 feet.
Specific Build: Vorcha cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species
like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them (if they even wear
any clothing or armor).
Low-Light Vision: Vorcha can see twice as far as humans in dim light.
Bonus Feats: Vorcha are frustratingly difficult to kill. They get Toughness, Great Fortitude,
Endurance, and Diehard as bonus feats.
Claw Attack: The vorcha's claws are his best friend. The vorcha has two claw attacks, which deal
1d4 bludgeoning or slashing damage each. He can use one of these attacks as a standard action,
or both on a full-round action, though he never gets more than 2 attacks of this kind due to high
base attack bonuses. He takes no penalties on these attacks for two weapon fighting.
Fast Healing: Sometimes, it seems like vorcha just won't stop moving, even after you have shot
them a thousand times. They have Fast Healing 1. This bonus improves by 1 at every 10th level
(Fast Healing 2 at level 10, Fast Healing 3 at level 20, and so on.)

Uncanny Survivors: Vorcha can live almost anywhere, due to their adaptable nature. They can
take 10 on any non-tracking Survival check; even if they normally couldn't given the conditions they
are under.
Illiterate: Due to their short lifetimes and complete lack of education, vorcha are illiterate. They
cannot read or write, though they may spend 2 skill points at any time to become literate, though
most Vorcha would just rather hit things.
Primitive: Vorcha may be incredibly good at surviving harsh conditions, but they aren't that good
at learning new things. Vorcha cannot gain proficiency feats from classes, and must take them
manually from leveling up. They are, however, automatically proficient with their natural weapons.

Geth
The geth ("Servant of the People" in Khelish) are a race of networked artificial intelligences that
reside beyond the Perseus Veil. The geth were created by the quarians, as laborers and tools of war.
When the geth became sentient and began to question their masters, the quarians attempted to
exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war, and reduced the quarians to a race of nomads.
The history of the geth's creation and evolution serves as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the
potential dangers of artificial intelligence and to the legally enforced, systematic repression of
artificial intelligences throughout galactic society.
Personality: The geth are reclusive and secretive. This is partly due to their synthetic nature:
They have no need to interact with other races because they do not share the same goals, needs or
instincts as organic species. As machines, comfort is also not a concern for them, something that is
reflected in elements of geth ship and station design (e.g., minimal gravity, efficient use of space,
function over form, lack of atmosphere, and absence of climate control).
The only geth who have interacted significantly with organics (aside from specialized platforms that
leave to collect data on organics) are a sect known as the "heretics". They are a small, radical group
of geth who worship a hyper-advanced but long-vanished machine race called the Reapers, whom
they see as the pinnacle of non-organic evolution. It is these geth who attacked Eden Prime and the
Citadel. This group is estimated to consist of about five percent of the total geth population. The
mainstream geth are content to stay separate from the remainder of Citadel space to "build their
own future," and claim that all sentient creatures should have the ability to "self-determinate",
strictly adhering to a policy of non-interventionism in respect to the affairs and development of
other races. While they have made attempts to observe and understand organics, the geth
primarily seek the peaceful advancement of their own race independent of the influence of the rest
of galactic society and believe every sentient species should be able to do the same, an attitude
that shows that the geth are significantly less hostile than the galactic community initially believed.
Depending on the context, the term "geth" can refer to an individual program, mobile platforms
which house a number of individual programs, or the entire collection of all programs. Organics
generally refer to each mobile platform as a geth. However, the geth do not share the concept of
individuality, and think in terms of the entire collective.
Geth psychology is completely alien to organics. They do not value individuality, preferring to share
all memories and thoughts of all programs. This means geth cannot and do not wish to hide their
thoughts, even those that do not follow the norm, with their reasoning for differing thoughts being
apparent. Advanced platforms using galactic speech patterns refer to themselves as "we" instead of
"I", since it is both part of the geth society as a whole and is also a gestalt of over a thousand geth
programs.
More importantly, deceit, manipulation and lying are impossible among the geth. No concepts of
vulnerability or privacy exist; geth are completely honest with each other about their thoughts and
their reasons for those thoughts. This means there is a great deal of understanding amongst geth,
with every geth being part of the consciousness of every other geth. A possible consequence of this
type of networked intelligence is theorized to be why the geth were able to turn on the quarians,
preventing them from developing preferences and devaluing the significance of an individual life.
While the geth are incapable of deceit amongst themselves, they are not above using deceit to
study organic behavior. One example is the geth introducing a falsified report on
the extranet detailing a constellation resembling a salarian goddess seen from
the batarian homeworld, which some salarians immediately believed to be proof of the goddess'
existence. The experiment ended when a salarian cult attempted to buy the rights to the stars, only

to find that they did not exist.

There is some question of whether geth personalities remain stable over time. When an artificial
intelligence is transferred to a new blue box, a completely new personality is created. Geth
frequently download into different hardware according to need, from starships to "mobile
platforms". It is very likely that "individual geth personalities" do not remain intact during these
transfers. This means that if a specialized platform (like Legion) is destroyed, while the programs
will be transferred back to a home server, the 'personality' that inhabited that platform will likely be
rewritten back to a default setting.
Physical Description: Physically, the humanoid geth resemble quarianstheir hands, head shape
and legs are similarwhich is probably a holdover from their origins. A
common
design feature among geth is a single brightly glowing photoreceptor,
causing
some to refer to them as "flashlight heads". Geth are primarily composed
of two
materials: a flexible but durable outer shell, and a kind of synthetic
muscle tissue that gives Geth Hoppers their incredible agility. It is
actually possible for this synthetic muscle to be grafted to organic. Geth
"bleed" a white conductive fluid when shot, but they don't have any
internal organs or nervous system, so the geth do not feel hunger or
pain. The geth are also seen using omni-tools, and have seemingly
modified them to heal synthetic wounds; likewise, some geth
facilities contain first-aid kits, implying that their synthetic "tissues"
can be repaired using conventional medical technology.
Part of the geth's success is due to their neural network.
Effectively, they "share" their processing power, distributing lowlevel processes like motor control and visual identification to free
up bandwidth for higher reasoning and complex thought. Geth can't
share sensory datathey aren't a hive mind like the rachnibut in
large groups they have more to think with. An individual geth has
only a basic intelligence on par with animal instincts, but in groups
they can
reason, analyze situations, and make tactical decisions as well as any
of the
organic races. Some platforms break this tradition; they are geth
specifically designed to operate as an autonomous sentient unit
outside the Perseus Veil. These rare units possesses over 11 times as
many geth programs as a standard geth platform and can function intellectually on its own.
Each geth is made up of hundreds of programs equivalent to VIs, all operating in parallel with one
another to form a kind of emergent intelligence described as "a thousand voices talking at once".
An individual geth is thus more of a "mobile platform" than an actual body; the programs that make
up its consciousness are constantly being transferred and downloaded; the mind operating one of
these "mobile platforms" might just as easily inhabit a starship body should it need to. Most of the
time geth programs can be found residing in server hubs, which function as something akin to the
organic equivalent of a city, and can run millions of geth in communion.
As all geth are networked to each other, they may communicate their exact thoughts and ideas at
the speed of light. They find organic methods of communication, such as body language and
spoken word, to be largely inefficient; the geth are able to communicate their thoughts flawlessly
without any fear of misinterpretation.
Over time, the geth have evolved into numerous sub-forms from the diminutive but highly agile
Geth Hoppers, to the gigantic, lumbering Geth Armatures. The geth also utilize turrets and drones.
It isn't clear whether these are also AIs in the same way Geth Armatures are not just tanks but
sentient machines capable of learning and problem solving or simply controlled by the geth. It
should be stressed, however, most geth encountered outside the veil likely belong to a violent
faction of the geth and will react with hostility to any organic not working for the Reapers.
The non-standard infantry-class geth variants include:
Geth Hopper: The Geth Hopper is a specialized geth platform, used primarily for stealth
attacks, cyber warfare and sabotage. Hoppers are a subtype of the geth that
the quarians don't recognize, hinting that the geth are 'evolving' beyond the forms originally
created by the quarians. A Hopper's body is made of a springy synthetic substance that
resembles organic muscle tissue. This can be compressed and then released, allowing the
Hopper to jump enormous distances (hence the name given to them by Alliance soldiers). It
has also tiny hooks on its hands and feet, meaning it can climb on walls and ceilings.

Geth Juggernaut: Geth Juggernauts are one of the larger and more dangerous forms
of geth infantry, frequently encountered wherever there is a notable concentration of geth.
They tower over normal geth, standing an average of 11 feet in height. They have naturally
heavier armor and large antennae that they likely use to help them coordinate offenses. As
such, juggernaut-class geth are often 'leaders,' as they typically contain more programs than
a normal geth, and are therefore 'more intelligent.'
Geth drop ships, fighters, and siege weapons (known as armatures or colossi) are mobile geth
platforms as well, but their size and specifications make them unfit for standard character usage.
Government: Geth have no government, ranking systems, or leaders; the geth use FTL
communications to "build a consensus," a completely Consensus Democratic method in which
every geth program makes a choice on any matter. Even within individual platforms, consensus
must be reached among its many programs before decisions can be made. When a matter must be
decided upon, the geth communicate all viewpoints of a situation and a consensus is made, the
decision being whatever benefits the geth as a whole the greatest.
Military: The key element of geth warfare is surprise. Their sudden and unexpected return from
beyond the Veil after three centuries was typical. They are the perfect ambushersthey don't
move, they don't make noise, they don't even breathe. Their freedom from the need to eat or sleep
allows the geth to leave dormant garrison units in ambush
at key positions, and the fact they don't feel pain allows
them to drop units directly onto the battlefield from high
altitudes. Geth can even be packed tightly into crates and
left in storage, shutting down their power sources to stay
undetected. A tactic particularly favored by the geth is to
set "distress signals" and then ambush the rescuers.
In combat, geth units show little sense of selfpreservation. Because geth programs can share memories
and files with extreme ease, the experiences of individual
geth programs are not lost when a platform is destroyed
and archived versions of programs can be downloaded
into new bodies (though their 'individual personalities' are
not likely retained). As geth programs are functionally
immortal, they place little value on platforms and will
expend thousands of units to take an enemy position,
which was commonly experienced by the quarians during
the Morning War. For this reason, geth are willing to
engage in seemingly-suicidal actions like boarding a ship,
engineering it to crash, and then remaining on board to ensure the ship goes down.
Heretic geth use psychological warfare on the battlefield with dragon's teeth, a Reaper implement.
These implements pierce the bodies of dead soldiers, turning muscle tissue into synthetic material,
creating a zombie-like monster called a Husk. This severely lowers morale, as their enemy now has
to kill fallen comrades.
When geth shut down, they fry their memory cores as a defensive measure, which is probably why
geth have not been successfully captured for study more than a few times, though quick tech
expertise and decisiveness can provide minimal results.
Best size estimates on a single geth fleet range from 5,000 to 10,000 ships with unknown
armament. These fleets include dreadnoughts, drop ships, and fighters. Since the geth are not
limited by the demands for rest, wages, or autonomy that organic workforces require, they are
limited only by time and raw materials in what they can construct, allowing for the creation of such
massive fleets. In addition, the geth are not restricted by the Treaty of Farixen and other Citadel
regulations in building their ships. Geth dreadnoughts can exceed the size of Alliance dreadnoughts
by as much as 30%, and utilize more expensive and energy-demanding ultraviolet antiship lasers as
opposed to the cheaper infrared antiship lasers employed by organic ships.
Relations: While the true geth do not hold any hostilities towards any organic race, (they act
hostilely only out of self-preservation) almost every race see them as a hostile threat. This
negativity comes mostly from the heretic geth, who work with the Reapers; a near-universal enemy.
However, because of the Morning War, which was sparked purely from the Quarian's own fears,
many people fear the geth have some kind of plans for galactic domination, or other ludicrous
ideas. This is simply not true, as the true geth wish to have individual peace apart from most races,

and wish for the same for all.

Most quarians look at geth as a horrible mistake that needs to be cleansed. They assume geth are
hostile, and claim that they stole their homeworld from them. In reality, the geth are preserving
Rannoch for the quarians' eventual return. They would love to broker peace with the quarians, but
it seems unlikely given most quarians' offensive nature towards them.
Rarely, quarians will be sympathetic to the geth. A splinter faction of quarians tried to help the
geth during the Morning War. However, these quarians were wiped out by the rest of their kin, and
these sympathizers are now few and far between. Most now view the geth as threats to be
eliminated or tools to be manipulated.
Alignment: As logical programs of synthetic intelligence, they stray from nearly all extremes, and
tend to be neutral in almost all regards.
Homeworld and Colonies: They were constructed on Rannoch by the quarians. Now, they control
Rannoch and many other ex-quarian worlds, since the quarians were repelled into the Migrant Fleet.
They do not, however, live on these planets. They maintain them almost like monuments or
cemeteries to their creators, removing toxins and wastes in preparation for the creators' eventual
return. They are much more at home on space stations or ships, as the mobility and tactical
locations are often more logical for the geth.
Religion: The 'true geth' have no concept of religion. The heretic splinter faction of the geth
worship the Reapers as the pinnacle of synthetic evolution. While the geth heretics that serve the
Reapers want the Reapers to give them a future, the 'true geth' want to make their own future.
Despite this difference, the baseline geth respected the heretics' decision and did not label it as
"wrong". "Heretics say, one is less than two. Geth say, two is less
than three." The heretics were allowed to leave
peacefully, to join their god and its prophet.
However, the heretics later tried to convert the
remaining geth to their side using program viruses.
The heretics
planted run-times within geth networks to spy on
them, and obtained a Reaper virus from Sovereign
capable of changing a geth's judgment, introducing a
subtle math error that would eventually compel them to
believe that worshipping the Reapers was correct.
This
virus was eventually turned against the heretics, and
their faction was eliminated.
However, the geth do have long term philosophical
and
cultural goals. The long-term goal of the geth is the
construction of a "mega-structure", a massive mainframe
capable
of simultaneously housing every existent geth program, thereby
maximizing their collective processing capacity. As of
2185, the
geth have already been in the process of constructing the mega-structure for 264 years. The
closest conceptual analogue is a Dyson sphere, with the long term goal that "no geth will be alone
when it is done." It believes that Sovereign promised the heretics a Reaper body to serve as such a
mega-structure.
Notably, however, this arrangement could be a Faustian bargain. The position of the baseline geth
is that even if they share an ultimate goal with the heretics, self-determination toward that end has
intrinsic value. In other words, the journey is as important as the destination. The heretics are to
that effect consequentialistic, where the "true geth" are deontological. Something ineffable would
be lost if the gethand indeed, all galactic civilizationwere merely to evolve along the rigid lines
arranged by the Reapers.
Names: Since geth do not have true individuality, (until the reaper code was introduced in 2186)
they often don't have names. Certain individual, specialized platforms (like Legion) are given
names by others. These names are singular given names, as geth do not have families or lineages.
Adventurers: As normal geth platforms rarely communicate or have individual personalities, the
best geth adventurers are the rare, unique platforms created to hold a large number of programs
and act independently from the rest of the geth. These platforms can develop 'personalities' and
'quirks' similar to a normal organic. When their platform of choice is destroyed, the programs are
usually saved in a far-away archive, much like a normal geth. However, the exact personality is
typically eradicated at that point. While a new platform could be created in the same likeness with
the same programs and memories of the original, it would not necessarily maintain the same

personality, and would be a 'different geth.'

If after the conclusion of the Geth-Quarian conflict of 2186, the geth either cease to exist, or gain
complete sentience, allowing all platforms to be individual 'people'.
Timeline: The Geth were created in 1895 CE. Shortly after, the geth gain a small level of sentience
that scares the quarians into trying to disable them. The quarians are defeated in the Morning War
and expelled into the Migrant Fleet. For the next 300 years, the geth begin construction on the
geth mega-structure, and maintain the homeworlds of the quarians for their eventual return. The
geth gain total sentience (or are eradicated, thus no longer existent) in 2186.
Geth Racial Traits
+2 to One Ability Score: Geth characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at
creation to represent the specialized nature of their creation
Synthetic: As synthetics, geth are not affected by powers that affect humanoids. However, they
are susceptible to powers that target synthetics or electronics. They have no constitution score,
and any DCs or other statistics that rely on a Constitution score treat a construct as having a score
of 10 (no bonus or penalty).
Medium Size: As medium creatures, geth have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Geth base land speed is 30 feet.
Specific Build: Geth cannot wear clothing or armor, and must acquire armor upgrades specifically
for geth of their design. See the equipment section for more details.
Immunities: As non-organic creatures, geth are immune to mind-affecting effects, bleed, disease,
death effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, indoctrination, repurposing effects, stunning, ability
damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, nonlethal damage, and any effect that
would require a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless.)
Electricity Vulnerability: As synthetics, geth take 50% additional damage from electricity sources.
Low-Light vision: Geth can see twice as far as humans can in dim light. All geth also have a
flashlight built in to their head modules that illuminates the area in front of them in a 20-foot cone.
This can be turned on or off as an immediate action.
Inorganics: As synthetics, geth do not require some things necessary for survival. They do not
need to eat or sleep (though they require an 8-hour recharge period to regain powers, like any other
creature.) They are also not at risk to death from massive damage, or from fall damage, though
they immediately die when their health reaches 0 (they do not drop into a dying state.) They are
affected by powers and abilities that affect synthetic targets, and are not affected by things that
target organics only, such as stimulants or poisons (though unlike other synthetics they can still be
healed by medigel and other healing techniques, thanks to their special synthetic tissue.)
Geth Shield Reserves: Geth are structurally weak, but their masterful shield technology is without
equal. All geth have shield reserves that provide them with 20 points of shield hit points. These hit
points stack with any shields that the geth might equip (if they had a shield that gave them 10
shield points, they would have 30 instead.) This shield cannot be destroyed or deactivated, and is
with the geth even if they don't have a shield equipped. Damage reduction, recharge rate, and
recharge delays are all equivalent to a basic shield.
Level Adjustment: +1. The geth has hit die of d8 for their geth level. This level also grants them
their 1st level feat, as a normal character, and a base attack bonus of +1. They also get 6 + Int
Mod worth of skills. Geth class skills are: Craft (Int), Drive (Dex), Electronics (Dex), First Aid (Wis),
Knowledge (Technology) (Int), Perception (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis). They are proficient with all
firearms, simple, and martial weapons and all armor.
Geth Hopper Racial Traits
+4 Dexterity, +4 Intelligence. Geth hoppers are cyberwarfare experts, who can infiltrate almost
any compound and scramble almost any device.
Synthetic: As synthetics, geth hoppers are not affected by powers that affect humanoids.
However, they are susceptible to powers that target synthetics or electronics. They have no
constitution score, and any DCs or other statistics that rely on a Constitution score treat a construct
as having a score of 10 (no bonus or penalty).
Medium Size: As medium creatures, geth hoppers have no special bonuses or penalties due to
their size.
Fast Speed: Geth hoppers have a base land speed is 40 feet.
Specific Build: Geth hoppers cannot wear clothing or armor, and must acquire armor upgrades

specifically for geth of their design. See the equipment section for more details.
Immunities: As non-organic creatures, geth hoppers are immune to mind-affecting effects, bleed,
disease, death effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, indoctrination, repurposing effects, stunning,
ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, nonlethal damage, and any effect
that would require a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless.)
Electricity Vulnerability: As synthetics, geth hoppers take 50% additional damage from electricity
sources.
Low-Light vision: Geth hoppers can see twice as far as humans can in dim light. All geth also
have a flashlight built in to their head modules that illuminates the area in front of them in a 20-foot
cone. This can be turned on or off as an immediate action.
Inorganics: As synthetics, geth hoppers do not require some things necessary for survival. They
do not need to eat or sleep (though they require an 8-hour recharge period to regain powers, like
any other creature.) They are also not at risk to death from massive damage, or from fall damage,
though they immediately die when their health reaches 0 (they do not drop into a dying state.)
They are affected by powers and abilities that affect synthetic targets, and are not affected by
things that target organics only, such as stimulants or poisons (though unlike other synthetics they
can still be healed by medigel and other healing techniques, thanks to their special synthetic
tissue.)
Geth Shield Reserves: Geth hoppers are structurally weak, but their masterful shield technology
is without equal. All geth have shield reserves that provide them with 20 points of shield hit points.
These hit points stack with any shields that the geth might equip (if they had a shield that gave
them 10 shield points, they would have 30 instead.) This shield cannot be destroyed or
deactivated, and is with the geth even if they don't have a shield equipped. Damage reduction,
recharge rate, and recharge delays are all equivalent to a tactical shield (when a shield is equipped,
take the better of these stats, between the reserves and the equipped shield.)
Bonus Feats: Geth hoppers get Skill Focus (Electronics), Skill Focus (Acrobatics), and Skill Focus
(Climb) as bonus feats.
Infiltration Unit: Geth hoppers can get in or out of just about any situation. They have a climb
speed of 30 feet.
Saboteur: All geth hoppers specialize in technological warfare. Their geth hopper allow them to
use tech powers as a 3rd-level engineer. These levels stack with levels of Engineer for the purposes
of power progression. For example, a 3rd-level Geth hopper/1st-level engineer would use tech
powers as a 4th-level engineer.
Level Adjustment: +3. The geth hopper has 3d6 hit points from his geth hopper levels. It has two
feats and a base attack bonus of +2 from these levels as well. They get (8 + Int Mod) x 3 worth of
skills from these levels also. Geth hopper class skills are: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int),
Drive (Dex), Electronics (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), First Aid (Wis), Knowledge (Technology) (Int),
Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex). It gets a +1 base save to all saving throws.
They are proficient in pistols, sniper rifles, SMGs, simple and martial weapons, and light armor.
Geth Juggernaut Racial Traits
+6 Strength, +4 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity. Geth juggernauts are
incredibly strong, as their size would tell you, but they are quite cumbersome. They also tend to
have more programs in their platforms, allowing better processing power. Their enhanced
processing power allows them to be more acute on the battlefield, and gives them a role as a
command and control unit.
Synthetic: As synthetics, geth juggernauts are not affected by powers that affect humanoids.
However, they are susceptible to powers that target synthetics or electronics. They have no
constitution score, and any DCs or other statistics that rely on a Constitution score treat a construct
as having a score of 10 (no bonus or penalty).
Large Size: As large creatures, geth juggernauts get a -1 size bonus to their AC, a -1 size bonus
on attack rolls, a +1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and
a -4 size bonus on Stealth checks. They also have a reach of 10 feet and take up a 10 ft. by 10 ft.
square.
Slow and Steady: Geth juggernauts have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never
modified by armor or encumbrance.
Immunities: As non-organic creatures, geth juggernauts are immune to mind-affecting effects,

bleed, disease, death effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, indoctrination, repurposing effects,
stunning, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, nonlethal damage, and
any effect that would require a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is
harmless.)
Electricity Vulnerability: As synthetics, geth juggernauts take 50% additional damage from
electricity sources.
Low-Light vision: Geth juggernauts can see twice as far as humans can in dim light. All geth also
have a flashlight built in to their head modules that illuminates the area in front of them in a 20-foot
cone. This can be turned on or off as an immediate action.
Inorganics: As synthetics, geth juggernauts do not require some things necessary for survival.
They do not need to eat or sleep (though they require an 8-hour recharge period to regain powers,
like any other creature.) They are also not at risk to death from massive damage, or from fall
damage, though they immediately die when their health reaches 0 (they do not drop into a dying
state.) They are affected by powers and abilities that affect synthetic targets, and are not affected
by things that target organics only, such as stimulants or poisons (though unlike other synthetics
they can still be healed by medigel and other healing techniques, thanks to their special synthetic
tissue.)
Geth Shield Reserves: Geth juggernauts are stronger than normal geth, and their masterful shield
technology is without equal. All geth have shield reserves that provide them with 30 points of
shield hit points. These hit points stack with any shields that the geth might equip (if they had a
shield that gave them 10 shield points, they would have 40 instead.) This shield cannot be
destroyed or deactivated, and is with the geth even if they don't have a shield equipped. Damage
reduction, recharge rate, and recharge delays are all equivalent to a heavy shield (when a shield is
equipped, take the better of these stats, between the reserves and the equipped shield.).
Natural Armor: Geth juggernauts get a +4 bonus to their natural AC, due to the heavy armor
plating that all are covered in.
Tech Warfare: Geth juggernauts can use tech powers as a 3nd-level infiltrator. These levels stack
with levels of infiltrator, if taken. For example, a 3rd-level geth juggernaut/1st-level infiltrator would
use powers as a 4th-level infiltrator.
Command and Control: Geth juggernauts have a large number of programs in their platforms.
This allows them to act as command and control units for other geth around them. Other geth get
a +1 morale bonus to all attack rolls, Armor class, and all saving throws. The juggernaut himself
does not get these bonuses. At 10th level, these bonuses double to +2. Geth do not get multiple
bonuses from multiple juggernauts, though juggernauts can get this bonus from another
juggernaut.
Level Adjustment: +3. The geth juggernaut has 3d12 hit points from his geth juggernaut levels. It
has two feats and a base attack bonus of +3 from these levels as well. They get (4 + Int Mod) x 3
worth of skills from these levels also. Geth juggernaut class skills are: Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha),
Drive (Dex), Electronics (Dex), First Aid (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Technology) (Int),
Knowledge (Warfare) (Int), Perception (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis). It gets a +1 base save to all
saving throws. They are proficient in all firearms, heavy, simple, and martial weapons and all armor
including shields (including tower shields).

Yahg
The yahg are a sentient race of towering humanoids native to the world of Parnack, known for their
violent and aggressive nature. Consummate predators, the yahg possess unrivaled perceptiveness
and mental adaptability.
Personality: Yahg incredibly aggressive predators. They are powerful, intimidating, and very
intelligent. If a leader displays any sign of weakness, a yahg will remove them from that position
(lethally) and assume control of power. They do not play well with others, unless those others are
willing to serve the yahg, or can dominate the yahg completely (which is hardly likely).
Physical Description: The yahg evolved to fill the niche of apex predator on Parnack. Yahg have four
pairs of eyes, each pair designed to track and predict the movements of prey. A keen sensitivity to
movement and light allows the yahg to easily read the body language of any species, making it
almost impossible to lie to a yahg.
The yahg also possess a muscular, large body that towers over even the krogan, which provides
considerable physical strength and agility. They have scaly, partially armored skin ranging from red

to brown, a triangular mouth adorned with sharp teeth, two large horns and facial markings on their
heads. Their hands each have three fingers that include a thumb, as well as three toes on each foot
They appear to come in a variety of colorations, from browns to reds, though tattooing also may
play a role in this, as facial tattoos have been seen on some yahg.
Yahg biotic potential is unknown, since very few have actually been in contact with scientists long
enough for them to study this.
Government: Yahg society is built around a pack mentality. A group of yahg will not cooperate until
a single leader has attained dominance through either social maneuvering or brute force. Once the
leader is established, the defeated yahg do not hold a grudge and former rivals serve their new
superior loyally (though if weakness is sensed in the leader, he will be usurped). The exact
governmental makeup of the yahg is unknown, but it is logical to assume that the strongest,
smartest yahg also hold the most influence in their social pods, which likely resemble clans of the
krogan.
Military: The exact organization of yahg military is unknown. The pack mentality of the yahg would
liken their military to wolves, which implies that every yahg is capable of defending his or herself,
and will usually have backup.
The yahg, though a pre-spacefaring civilization, are not primitive. They have almost finished their
first spacecraft, and are borderline spacefaring; a terrifying notion, considering what they did to the
council representatives that first found them.
Relations: When Parnack was discovered by Citadel Council surveyors in 2125 CE, the yahg were a
pre-spaceflight civilization with technology equivalent to that of 20th century Earth. A Council
delegation of ambassadors
made first contact with the
yahg and attempted to
establish diplomatic relations.
Unfortunately, the yahg
perceived the ambassadors'
attitudes and behavior as
equal individuals instead of
subordinates as a sign of
contempt, and attacked and
massacred the entire
delegation. Immediately
following that incident, the
Citadel Council severed all
contact with the yahg and
declared Parnack off-limits.
The Council maintains that the
yahg's aggression and
obsession with control make them poorly suited to integrate with the galactic community.
Some time after the Council made first contact, the Shadow Broker's agents attempted to abduct a
yahg for study. Several had to be killed before the agents found one interested in leaving the
planet. After impressive displays of intelligence and learning, on par with the much shorter
lived salarians, the Broker arranged for the yahg to covertly take the place of one of his operatives
and lead strike teams to gather intelligence and neutralize threats. However, the yahg's violent
nature quickly became a problem and orders were given for him to be eliminated. However, the
yahg managed to somehow kill the Shadow Broker in the middle of his message, to which he
immediately assumes the role as the new Shadow Broker and rescind the order to kill him. At this
point, none of his agents knew that the previous Broker had been killed and replaced. The yahg
remained Shadow Broker for the next six decades, and garnered a fearsome reputation, with many
of his agents entering his office and never coming out.
Alignment: Power hungry and aggressive, yahg are almost never good, and almost never lawful,
since compassion is likely a sign of weakness to other yahg. Weakness almost assuredly means
death in their culture.
Homeworld and Colonies: Yahg hail from the planet Parnack. They are not a spacefaring race, so
they do not have colonies, though a few yahg "specimens" have been taken from Parnack against
council law as trophies or test subjects.
Religion: Yahg religion, if it exists, is completely unknown.

Names: The system of naming for the Yahg is completely unknown, as they are not quick to reveal
information to others.
Adventurers: Yahg are incredibly rare, since they do not have spacefaring technology, and contact
is barred to Parnack from the citadel. However, some yahg are smuggled off planet (willingly or
not) to be trophies, test subjects, or in the most horrifying of cases, mercenaries (though they
would likely try and become the leader of the mercenary group before too long at all.)
Timeline: Discovered by the Citadel Council in 2125 CE, the yahg were unceremoniously barred
from interaction with Citadel space after massacring the Council's delegation.
Yahg Racial Traits
+6 Strength, +4 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +4 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom. Yahg are massive,
incredibly strong, and incredibly resilient. They are surprisingly quick in both mind and body, and
they have pristine spacial awareness thanks to their four pairs of eyes.
Monstrous Humanoid: Yahg count as Monstrous Humanoids. They do not count as humanoids for
abilities or effects that target them specifically, and count as a Monstrous Humanoid instead.
Large Size: As large creatures, yahg get a -1 size bonus to their AC, a -1 size bonus on attack
rolls, a +1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a -4 size
bonus on Stealth checks. They also have a reach of 10 feet and take up a 10 ft. by 10 ft. square.
Normal Speed: Yahg have a movement speed of 30 feet.
Specific Build: Yahg cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species like
the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Natural Armor: Yahg are large, and have incredibly tough skin. They get a +2 to their natural
Armor Class.
Natural Attack: Yahg have a slam attack that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage. This attack
receives 1 - 1/2 of the yahg's strength for damage. It can be used even when hands are full. It
deals an additional 2d8 damage on a charge, as in powerful charge.
Low-Light Vision: Yahg have keen eyes that can see twice as far as humans in darkness.
Bonus Feats: Yahg get Skill Focus (Intimidate), Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Skill Focus (Perception),
Alertness, Improved Initiative
Level Adjustment: +6. The yahg has 6d12 hit points from his yahg levels. It has three feats and
a base attack bonus of +4 from these levels as well. They get (4 + Int Mod) x 6 worth of skills from
these levels also. Yahg class skills are: Appraise, Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy
(Cha), Drive (Dex), Electronics (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any 2, picked at creation) (Int),
Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Survival (Wis). It gets a +5 base save to
all saving throws. They are proficient in all firearms, heavy, simple, and martial weapons and all
armor and shields (including tower shields).

Elcor
The elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive
creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved
response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored their psychology, making
them deliberate and conservative.
Personality: Evolving in a high-gravity environment where a fall could be lethal has made elcor
psychology deeply cautious and conservative. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups.
Despite this, they are always welcoming to outsiders.
Physical Description: Elcor evolved on a high-gravity world, making them slow, but incredibly
strong. Their large, heavy bodies are incapable of moving quickly, but they possess a rather
imposing stature and immense strength, as well as thick, tough skin. They move using all four limbs
to support and balance their massive bodies. Given their method of communication, they likely
have highly-attuned olfactory senses.

Elcor speech is heard by most species as a flat, ponderous

monotone. Among
themselves, scent, extremely slight body movements, and
subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make
a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since
their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other
species,
the elcor prefix all their dialog with non-elcor with an emotive
statement to clarify their tone.
Elcor may be able to use biotics, though it is not known how
common or uncommon it is among their species.
Government: Due to their conservative nature, elcor government is
incredibly stable. The elcor government is known as the
Courts
of Dekuuna. The elcor follow the recommendations of
their
Elders, who spend years poring over ancient records of
jurisprudence to determine the
precedent that should be followed in any given
situation. The Elders record closely
argued and minutely detailed instructions on what
course to follow in any theoretical
crisis. These are filed away in huge libraries of data
discs and are consulted when needed. This makes elcor
policies very predictable, provided one has done a
great deal of research.
Military: Because of their slow, conservative psyches, elcor
are
not suitable for making the spur-of-the-moment decisions
necessary in combat situations. Instead, they rely on
sophisticated VI combat systems. These war machines
can choose between thousands of gambits developed
and
polished over centuries by elcor strategists.
The slow speed and immense size of the elcor makes
them easy targets. Fortunately, their durable hide allows
them
to shrug off most incoming fire. Elcor warriors don't carry
small
arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for
the
same size of weapons typically mounted on Alliance
fighting vehicles. According to an elcor diplomat on
the
Citadel, elcor soldiers are called "living tanks" by their
enemies, among other
less flattering names.
Relations: In general, no races as a whole look to the elcor in a negative light. Their general
positive demeanors paint them in a good light. They hold a special place in their heart for the asari,
who helped them join galactic space. They also share an embassy on the Citadel with the volus,
giving them a certain kinship.
Alignment: Their slow, ponderous nature makes chaotic or evil elcor quite the rarity.
Homeworld and Colonies: Elcor usually prefer to stay on their colonies or their homeworld of
Dekuuna rather than travel in space, which may be why few elcor are seen on the Citadel or on
other worlds. Possibly because of their size or evolution in the open air, the elcor find the necessary
confines of space travel uncomfortable. They do have a variety of other high-gravity colonies on
other planets similar to their homeworld, though, on planets such as Ekuna and Oltan.
Religion: Elcor practice a form of ancestral worship. They venerate those who came before them,
and take their advice incredibly seriously. At least one holy book, called the Code of the Ancients,
exists. It likely contains important guidelines for how to live ones' life from the oldest of the elcor.
Names: Elcor use a given name, and likely a clan name as well. Examples: Calyn, Harrot, Petozi,
Xeltan.
Adventurers: The excitement and intrigue of adventure usually repels the elcor from it. Their
conservative nature usually keeps them out of space of danger. However, as in all scenarios,
outliers exist. There are some elcor who work as information brokers, computer hackers, and even
mercenaries and killers. These are, however, understandably rare. Elcor are generally quite
peaceful.
Timeline: The elcor joined the Citadel somewhere between 200 BCE and 1 CE.
Elcor Racial Traits
+4 Strength, +4 Constitution, -6 Dexterity.
Monstrous Humanoid: Elcor count as Monstrous Humanoids. They do not count as humanoids

for abilities or effects that target them specifically, and count as a Monstrous Humanoid instead.
Large Size: As large creatures, elcor get a -1 size bonus to their AC, a -1 size bonus on attack
rolls, a +1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a -4 size
bonus on Stealth checks. They do not have a reach of 10 feet like most large creatures, and still
only have a reach of 5 feet.
Slow and Steady: Elcor have a base movement speed of 15 feet, but are not slowed because of
armor or encumbrance.
Specific Build: Elcor cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species like
the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Natural Armor: Elcor get a +2 to their natural armor, thanks to their thick hides.
Natural Attack: Elcor have a slam attack using one of their massive fists that deals 1d8
bludgeoning damage.
Non-dexterous: Elcor are lumbering and awkward. They cannot use most conventional weapons
or tools (though they can use Omni-tools). They do not have "arms" in the conventional sense,
instead having two back legs and two front arms, which are incredibly large and powerful. While
these arms do have thumbs, they are not able to stand without the support of at least one of these
arms on the ground, and cannot walk without both free. To counter this limitation, they use Vis very
frequently during their lives.
Walking Tanks: Due to their limitations with standard firearms and weapons, an elcor does not
use standard weapons. He instead uses VI-assisted shoulder and back mounted weaponry. They
may use heavy weapons or vehicle-mounted weapons scaled to their size with this high-tech
equipment.

Hanar
The hanar are a species resembling Earth's jellyfish and are one of the few nonbipedal Citadel races. Hanar are known for their intense politeness when speaking, and their strong
religious beliefs regarding the Protheans, whom they refer to as "the Enkindlers".
Personality: The hanar communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescencewhich other
species need machine assistance to translate (though many drell apply genetic modification to their
eyes in order to perceive higher frequency flashes which allows them to understand the hanar)
and speak with scrupulous precision and extreme politeness. Most hanar take offense at improper
language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other
species.
Hanar are extremely polite, almost to a fault. They never refer to themselves in the first person
with someone they know on a face name basis: to do so is considered egotistical. Instead they refer
to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." It is only around those who know their soul
name that they would ever consider using the first person. Even when flustered or angry, a hanar
will still maintain exquisite poise, and will remain formal even with those it wishes dead.
The hanar practice a religious holiday called Nyahir or "First Cresting Bloom" which lasts a full
thirteen days and revolves around celebrating the gift of speech, which they attribute to having
come from the Enkindlers. It is a mixture of contemplation and competition, with the faithful
engaged in stylized debates, poetry duels, and other traditional hanar art forms. The winners of
these events have their names inscribed in bio-luminescence on the side of Mount Vassla, an
underwater volcano at the heart of one of the oldest Prothean ruins on Kahje.
Physical Description: The hanar "stand" slightly taller than a human, although most of their height
is in their long tentacles that have three fingers at the base. The invertebrate, water-native hanar
cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic
society, they rely on contra-gravitas levitation packs that use mass effect fields. Their limbs can
grip tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each. Hanar also
possess the ability to secrete natural toxins.
It is not known if hanar have more than one gender, or are asexual (as some jellyfish species are).
Despite evolving in water, hanar also appear able to breathe air, or use technological means to
enable this.
The hanar presumably have some level of biotic adeptness, though the level is unknown.
Government: The hanar government is known as the Illuminated Primacy. According to gossip, the
hanar are considered likely prospects for a Council seat in the near future, though what great deed

the hanar did for the Council to warrant consideration is not revealed.
Military: The hanar are too cumbersome out of the water to participate in a physical fight, though
they do have incredibly strong grips and natural toxins that can
make them very
dangerous in the right situations. They do not have an organized
military
force, and rely on other species (namely, the drell) and defense
networks
on their planet (Anti-air turrets, etc) for protection.
Relations: Other races sometimes see the hanar as elitist
because
of their intolerance for "incorrect" speech (and occasionally
refer to
them derisively as "jellies"). The hanar themselves are
known to become vocal if their religious rights
appear threatened in any way, which occasionally
causes clashes with other Citadel races. Some are
known to preach where preaching is disallowed, and
protest against excavations of Prothean ruins, as
they worship these sacred grounds. They, however,
maintain good relations with most species, and
tend
to be very calm and patient when dealing with
others.
Several hundred years ago, the hanar made contact
with the drell on their nearby homeworld
of Rakhana. Drell society was quickly collapsing
due to overpopulation and warring over scarce resources, so the
hanar rescued several hundred thousand drell and brought them
to Kahje,
where they integrated into hanar society with the remaining drell dying out. Now the drell serve as
a client race of the hanar, and although to outside observers the relationship can be construed as a
form of slavery, the reality is very different. Drell have integrated with every level of hanar society,
and most consider it an honor to serve a hanar family in a tradition referred to as the Compact.
Many drell become unofficial members of the family, and some even earn the privilege to learn
their masters' "soul names".
Alignment: Hanar are generally patient, and stray away from chaotic alignments. However, there
are certainly hanar that don't follow suit.
Homeworld and Colonies: The hanar homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an
energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. Due to the presence
of Prothean ruins on Kahje, the hanar have developed a religion centered on the ancient species,
calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and
civilized them by teaching them language. They have space stations around First Land, and also
have colonies on Belan.
Religion: The hanar were uplifted by the Protheans, who taught them speech, among many other
things. The hanar, in turn, revere the ancient race as gods, referring to them as the "Enkindlers."
Most hanar are deeply protective of the ruins and ideas of the Enkindlers.
Names: The hanar have two names, a "face name" and a "soul name." The face name is used as a
general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close
friends and relations, and tends to be poetic. For example, a hanar known for its cynicism may take
a name that means "Illuminates the Folly of the Dancers." Face name examples are: Opold,
Zymandis, Delanynder.
Adventurers: In general, hanar do not make great adventurers. They are awkward outside of
water, and are not fit for the fields of battle. However, rarely, a hanar will go off in search of fame,
fortune, mercenary work, or ancient artifacts belonging to the "Enkindlers."
Timeline: The hanar were given their Citadel embassy sometime between 200 BCE and 1 CE.
Hanar Racial Traits
+2 Wisdom, +4 Charisma, -6 Strength, -6 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Hanar are wise and excellent
at talking to others (though they take classes on patience and acceptance, since they despise
improper speech.) However, outside of water, they are cumbersome and awkward, and they are
not the hardiest of races.
Aberration: Hanar count as an aberration, not a humanoid. They are not affected by effects that
specifically target humanoids.
Medium Size: As medium creatures, Hanar get no bonuses or negatives to their stats.

Specific Build: Hanar cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid species
like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Aquatic Creatures: Hanar have a swim speed of 30 feet and can breathe underwater. When in
water, they no longer have a -6 to dexterity. Instead, they get a circumstantial +6 to dexterity.
They can also use their Dexterity modifier for any swim checks they must make instead of their
Strength modifier.
Natural Attack: Hanar have two tentacle natural attacks that deal 1d3 bludgeoning damage each.
He can use both of these attacks on a full round action at no penalty for dual wielding, though he
never gets more than two attacks of this kind.
Natural Toxin: All hanar can excrete a natural toxin from their tentacles that they can choose to
use at will. All hanar can coat their tentacles with Hanar Sting at will.
Grab: If a hanar hits with their tentacle attacks, they may make a grapple check as a free action.
This can be used on any medium or smaller creatures. This also confers a +4 bonus to combat
maneuver checks involving grapples. Hanar also do not apply their strength penalty to CMC for
grapple checks when grappling.
Bonus Feat: Hanar get Improved Grapple as a bonus feat, regardless of whether they meet the
requirements or not.
Diplomatic: Hanar get a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks.
Non-dexterous: Hanar do not have hands or fingers, and cannot use conventional tools (though
they can use specialized omni-tools.) or weapons, as they cannot lift things easily with their
tentacles.

Prothean
The Protheans are an extinct alien race that mysteriously vanished over 50,000 years ago. The
Protheans arose from a single planet and developed an immense galaxy-wide empire encompassing
many other spacefaring species. Not much is known about them, but many of their artifacts, ruins
and technology have apparently survived the ages.
The Protheans have been credited with creating the Citadel and the mass relays, feats of
engineering that have never been equaled and whose core mass effect field technology forms the
basis of contemporary civilization. Prothean artifacts, therefore, have immense
scientific
value and are seen to belong to the whole galactic community.
The Protheans, however, did not create the relays or the Citadel. These
were created by the Reapers eons ago, and were merely discovered by
the Protheans.
Personality: Personality of the Protheans as a whole is relatively
unknown. They were originally thought to be benevolent and helpful,
like the asari. However, Javik's descriptions of the Prothean Empire differ
greatly. By his precedent, the Protheans were ruthless, strict, and
militaristic. They were likely no-nonsense, and did not suffer indignities
of any fashion. They were a proud race, and seem to be quite elitist,
thinking themselves better than any other race that could not stand
against them. They seem xenophobic to a certain extent as well, as they
supposedly conquered other races and subjugated them into servitor
states.
Physical Description: Protheans are an anthropoidal race. They have two
pairs of eyes with each eye possessing dual pupils, and two pairs of
nostrils. Their heads are covered in a thick, layered carapace that gives
them a distinctive shape. The skin surrounding this carapace is a pale
blue-gray color mottled with muted yellow spots, but their hands each
have three fingers, and their feet each have two widely-spaced toes.
A unique attribute of Prothean physiology is an experiential exchange
system based on physical touch. By touching something or someone, a
Prothean could recall its experiences. This system can transfer complex
ideas, with a Prothean being capable of learning a new skill or foreign
language with a single touch. This sensory mechanism arose because
the
Protheans evolved as hunters and needed to be thoroughly aware of their environment. This is

similar to the idea of psychometry.

From the few specimens of Prothean genetic material that have been found, modern scientists have
learned that Protheans have a unique "quad-strand" DNA structure. It has also been hypothesized
that Protheans were resistant to low levels of radiation because of the discovery that Prothean
comm towers produced small but significant amounts of ionizing radiation, enough to damage the
DNA of Earth creatures such as fruit flies and bees.
Government: The Citadel was the Prothean seat of government, and the heart of their galaxy-wide
empire. Although the Protheans were a single race, as they expanded and assimilated other
spacefaring races into their empire, those servant races adopted the name "Prothean" for
themselves as well. This assimilation was not always peaceful, as advanced species who attempted
to deny or oppose their admittance into the empire were forcibly conquered and assimilated into
Prothean society. The Protheans justified this cultural reconditioning by claiming that if the races
who opposed them were actually stronger than the Protheans, then they would take the Protheans'
place as the galaxy's dominant civilization. This ideology was also dictated by necessity. After the
Protheans encountered hostile machine intelligences, they ultimately decided that all organic races
should join together for the sake of survival.
The beacons and the Eletania ruins suggest that, like the asari, the Protheans were comfortable
with the notion of transferring data to an individual's mind. They invested heavily in their scientific
research, a policy that eventually paid off, if too late to save their own species.
Prothean society was heavily regulated. Treason, gambling, and insubordination were all
punishable by death.
Military: While little is known of the Prothean military, it is known that they possessed fleets
capable of defending their empire from threats. The flagship of the Prothean navy, Penumbra Apex,
was equipped with a cannon similar in power to that of a Geth Dreadnought. Also, the Protheans
produced Particle Rifles for their Infantry and had at least one Biotic near the end of the Reaper
Invasion. It is presumed, thanks to their physical exchange system via touch, that biotics were
common, or even present in all Protheans.
Relations: While all races revere the Prothean ideal as an ancient race, the hanar look to them as
gods, since they elevated their society and enlightened them. However, the true Prothean psyche
would be a shock to most. They were harsh, and looked down on the lesser primitive species,
though they did show interest in them as tools. Most species would not take kindly to this.
Alignment: Judging from Javik's personality, Protheans were very strict, leading them to lean
towards lawful, though renegades likely existed outside of the law.
Homeworld and Colonies: The original planet of the Protheans is unknown, but their capital during
their empire was located on the Citadel. Besides that, they had a widespread empire that touched
virtually every planet in known space.
Religion: The exact system of beliefs for the Protheans is unknown, though it seems that they have
an ancestral worship, or at least respect. They looked to the Inusannon, the master race that came
in the previous cycle, as the current cycle looks to the Protheans. They also pass down memory
shards to their descendents, friends, and subordinates. These act as min beacons that can transmit
thoughts directly to their consciousness, so they can live and learn from the mistakes and actions of
the past.
Names: It seems the Protheans had a similar naming system to humans. Names: Javik, Athame,
Ksad. Clan names: Ishan.
Adventurers: The Protheans are believed to be extinct. The only Prothean that survived their
extinction was Javik, a commander stationed on Eden Prime, who survived in a stasis pod.
However, it is conceivable that somewhere, considering the vast scope of the Prothean Empire,
there might be another facility like the one Javik was in. Another station was found on Ilos, but the
power had already faltered. Though incredibly unlikely, it is quite possible that at least one other
Prothean has survived somewhere.
Timeline: Protheans were masters of their cycle 50,000 years ago. However, they were driven to
extinction by the reapers by 48,000 BCE. A number of them went to ground in stasis podsit is
unknown if any others survived besides Javik.
Prothean Racial Traits
+2 to any Ability Score, +2 to Wisdom. Protheans in general are very wise and quick-minded, and
they are quite adaptive to their many facets of life.
Medium Size: Protheans are medium sized, not conferring them any bonuses or penalties.

Normal Speed: Protheans have a base movement speed of 30 feet.

Specific Build: Protheans cannot wear clothing or armor designed for traditional humanoid
species like the asari or humans, and must wear armor specifically designed for them.
Radiation Resistance: Protheans are immune to all radiation effects with a save DC of 10 or less.
Low-Light Vision: Protheans can see twice as far in dim light as humans.
Bonus Feats: Protheans get Alertness and Biotic Potential as bonus feats, due to their natural
advantage of an extra pair of eyes and their heightened senses.
Sensory Transmission: Protheans can sense emotions, past events, information, and languages in
people, places, and objects simply by touching them. They may use this ability at will. They can
make a touch attack on an unwilling recipient. If it hits, it deals no damage, but the effect still
happens.
Level Adjustment: +1. The Protheans have a hit die of d10 from his Prothean level. He has one
feat and a base attack bonus of +1 from this level as well. He gets 4 + Int Mod worth of skills from
this level also. Prothean class skills are: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Drive
(Dex), ), Electronics (Dex), First Aid (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any 1, picked at creation)
(IntPerception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str). He gets a +1 base save to
all saving throws. They are proficient in all firearms, simple, and martial weapons and all armor and
shields (except tower shields).